Hey walking through the city man I can't believe my eyes* They're reflecting back the history of our nations cries 'Cause the politicians turn around and capitalize On the poor mans labor and the rich mans lies We built this city but not with rock and roll It was with our blood and our sweat and our dreams And now they've all been bought and sold And they're still dangling the carrot, promising us the gold But in a trickle down economy all we get is a lump of coal And you know the cost of living will keep rising While the chance of finding work is going down Dark clouds now block what once were clear horizons And it's my broken hands that built this filthy town I saw the sign of the times on a freight elevator door Contractors not allowed to exit at the loby floor A hard day just don't pay no more Went from a working cla** hero to an eyesore Rent-a-cop wanna check my building pa** I gotta stifle the urge to tell him he can kiss my a** He grants me access once the signs been flashed Then loads be out through the dock like the rest of the trash And still the cost of living will keep rising While the chance of finding work is going down Dark clouds now block what once were clear horizons And it's my broken hands that built this filthy town Something in the air in the wind say we gotta make a change. Hey hey hey hey Can't you feel it spreading like a sickness through your veins? Hey hey hey hey Working man stand for it's time for you to wear the crown. Hey hey hey hey We built it up and we can tear it down. We built it up and we can tear it down This goes out to Sacco and Vanzetti And every other motherf**er who was ever armed and ready Yeah to strike back loud like my rocksteady And find serenity in the beauty of a homemade bomb Or else the cost of living will keep rising And the chance of finding work will drop on down I say stand your ground and f** their bleak horizons! We built it up and we can tear it down Something in the air in the wind say we gotta make a change. Hey hey hey hey Can't you feel it spreading like a sickness through your veins? Hey hey hey hey Working man stand for it's time for you to wear the crown. Hey hey hey hey We built it up and we can tear it down. Tear it down We built it up and we can tear it down. Tear it down We built it up and we will tear it down