Nickel Arcade

I stood at the threshold of hysterics in the nickel arcade
When the girl behind the counter told me
Just to let her know if she could help me in any way
So then I looked in her dead eyes 'til mine fell to her tie
And the tie clip that kept it in line
And I said, "I think you and me can help each other"

Because I just want to see my friends and play some video games
And in the meantime get you going on that minimum wage
But, what about whoever writes your checks?
They make more money than you, but not really
Thanks to a defaulted mortgage and eight years of student loans
And what about whoever it is that signs that person's checks?
They make more money than you too, but not really
Thanks to M.C.A.'s and working capital loans

And this nickel arcade will be long closed down
Before they pay off those small business loans
To a giant corporation masquerading as a bank
That's praying to God they refinance every small business loan
(Oh, my God! It's a fire sale!)

And then from there the entirety of the nickel arcade experience
Gets degraded to a value, in a field, in a spreadsheet
With millions of unpaid balances
And all so that some script can compile some report
Some bank executive can hold in one hand
So they can safely and comfortably masturbate
Over exactly how much money they'll have
Thanks to those small business loans
Oh, my God! It's a fire sale!

So, it seems to me, with every nickel that I put in these machines
I give more power to those who deserve it the least
But if you still want to help, I think I know exactly what we can do
We can go to the back, pull the fire alarm, grab the can of gasoline
Roll for initiative, and then we get to

Burn this arcade right down!
Gather the nickels, and hide them underground!
Because that's not a system that we
Should have to be a part of if we don't want to be

But you have bills to pay
And I want to play a few more video games
And plus, I'm not sure that burning down nickel arcades
Is the best way to express my disdain