Well, you know I was a farmer when I was a younger man
Until the fields got paved with asphalt and they took away my land
And now the monument before us, it stands so tall and proud
glorious new minimall upon the earth that I once plowed

I sold my house out in the country to rent a trailor by the mall
It's not so bad except the kitchen's just a little small
I got a job at the local hardware store, where I work till five o'clock
But now they built another home improvement palace down the block

What's the sense of all this home improvement
I liked my home the way it was before
If this is what our town [bad word] to stand for
I don't think we need improvement anymore

I lost my job at the hardware store when the owner closed it down
He said the rent was just too high to keep his family in this town
He sold his house to an executive, who tore it down to build anew
million dollar mansion with a $20 view

What's the sense of all this home improvement
I liked my home the way it was before
If this is what our town [bad word] to stand for
I don't think we need improvement anymore

Someday this town will reach its goal and everyone will have
Mercedes in the driveway of their subdivision land
Clear the way for progress by demolishing the past
But we need another steakhouse like a hole in the head

What's the sense of all this home improvement
I liked my home the way it was before
If this is what our town [bad word] to stand for
I don't think we need improvement anymore