My favourite Story song:

Although many have viewed this song as a political anthem, the artist Michael Angelakos says that it's actually really about family. I understand why people perceived it in the wrong way, as the song's lyrics mentions disappearing pension funds, overdrawn accounts and "socialists and all their damn taxes" However each of the verses actually tell the story of a different family member of Michael's, more focused on the males within the family tree, and how they dealt with their finances and how they supported the family. Although Michael may have not meant to tell a story of how his family were a prey of capitalism and immigrants themselves, the story clearly focuses on those aspects of their lives.

“Everything on the record’s true, everything happened to me, I’m the one that made the mess and everyone else had to clean up around me. And the guilt and the pain that I felt throughout the record is definitely evident.

All these kinds of places

Make it seem like it's been ages

Tomorrow some new building will scrape the sky

I love this country dearly

I can feel the ladder clearly

But I never thought I'd be alone to try

Once I was outside Penn station

Selling red and white carnations

We were still alone,

My wife and I

Before we marry, save my money

Brought my dear wife over

Now I want to bring my family state side

But off the boat they stayed awhile

Then scattered across the coast

Once a year I'll see them for a week or so at most

I took a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk, (oh-ah-ohhhh)

I take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk (oh-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Practice isn't perfect

But the market cuts the loss

I remind myself that times could be much worse

My wife won't ask me questions

There's not so much to ask

And she'll never flaunt around an empty purse

Once my mother-in-law came

Just to stay a couple nights

Then decided she would stay the rest of her life

I watch my little children, play some board game in the kitchen

And I sit and pray they never feel my strife.

But then my partner called to say the pension funds were gone

He made some bad investments, now the accounts are overdrawn

I took a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk, (oh-ah-ohhhh)

I take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk (oh-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh)

Honey it's your son I think I borrowed just too much

We had taxes, we had bills, we had a lifestyle of fun

And tonight I swear I'll come home and we'll make love like we're young

Then tomorrow you'll cook dinner for the neighbours and their kids

We can rip apart those socialists and all their damn taxes

But see I am no criminal

I'm down on both bad knees

I'm just too much a coward to admit when I'm in need

I took a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk, (oh-ah-ohhhh)

I take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk (oh-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh)

I take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk, (oh-ah-ohhhh)

I take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk

Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk (oh-ah-oh-oh-oh-oh)