Beggar man is sleeping in the County Jail.
He used to have an office where he got some mail.
Economy was jumping and his job would swing.
The stock market crash struck like lightning.

Let's rock! Everybody, let's rock!
Everybody sleeping on the dock
was dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!

Herbert Hoover talking on the telephone.
Calvin Coolidge left him in a twilight zone.
Lots of boys from Illinois, the song they sang:
"My daddy's out of work, I'm in the Capone gang!"

Let's rock! Everybody, let's rock!
Everybody sleeping on the dock
was dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!

Nineteen twenty-seven was sure good to me.
It was the greatest market that I ever did see.
But now my job is gone and I'm in bankruptcy.
Come on and do the Poorhouse Rock with me.

Let's rock! Everybody, let's rock!
Everybody sleeping on the dock
was dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
Let's rock, everybody!

(guitar break)

The sad sack was sitting in the House of White
down in the Oval Office feeling real uptight.
The nation said, "Hey, Hoover, better run real far.
We're gonna give a landslide to FDR!"

Let's rock! Everybody, let's rock!
Everybody sleeping on the dock
was dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!

Alfie Landon told us all, "For heaven's sake,
You should've stuck with Hoover, now, let's make a break."
The nation turned to Landon and they said, "Nix, nix.
I wanna keep the Democrats in thirty-six!"

Let's rock! Everybody, let's rock!
Everybody sleeping on the dock
was dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
Dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
Dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
Dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
Dancing to the Poorhouse Rock!
(repeat 'til fade)