Backstory:
Sore Inflation, a band that bloomed from the heart of New York City, was formed in the early 2000s. The band originally consisted of four high school buddies; lead singer and guitarist, Ricky Ferguson, bass guitarist, Jerry ‘Jay’ Baldwin, drummer, Tommy Patterson and keyboardist, Michael ‘Mikey’ Solomon. United by their shared interest in music and a desire to express their thoughts about the socio-economic realities of living in a big city, they began writing and performing in local bars and clubs.
Their popularity surged when they performed “Dollar Down,” a melodious outcry against ballooning inflation, at a local music festival. The performance, captured on a grainy mobile phone video, quickly went viral, catapulting Sore Inflation to a wider audience. The band signed with a major record label within a year and started touring internationally.
Genre: Pop-Rock
Title: “Chasing Pennies”
Full Song Lyrics:
(Verse 1)
[G] Walking down these [D] empty streets, [Em] under city [C] lights,
[G] Searching for a [D] dream, that’s [Em] lost in the [C] night.
[G] The money’s tight, the [D] days are long, [Em] we’re living [C] on the edge,
[G] Just chasing pennies [D] in the [Em] dark, [C] on this endless [G] ledge.
(Chorus)
[D] Chasing pennies, [Em] chasing dreams, [C] in this city [G] of gold,
[D] Who knew that life could [Em] be so hard, when [C] everything is [G] sold?
[D] Sore inflation, [Em] hard frustration, [C] we’re trying to [G] hold,
[D] We’ll keep on chasing [Em] pennies, till [C] our hands turn [G] gold.
(Verse 2)
[G] The cost of life is [D] rising high, [Em] while our pay [C] stays the same,
[G] In this rat race [D] for survival, [Em] it’s just a [C] losing game.
[G] We’ve got dreams to [D] live, songs to [Em] sing, [C] stories to be told,
[G] We’re just chasing pennies [D] in the [Em] dark, [C] till our hands turn [G] gold.
(Chorus)
[D] Chasing pennies, [Em] chasing dreams, [C] in this city [G] of gold,
[D] Who knew that life could [Em] be so hard, when [C] everything is [G] sold?
[D] Sore inflation, [Em] hard frustration, [C] we’re trying to [G] hold,
[D] We’ll keep on chasing [Em] pennies, till [C] our hands turn [G] gold.
Bands Favorite Fan:
The band’s favorite fan is a college student named Lily Simmons. Lily’s testimony reads, “Sore Inflation is my favorite because their raw honesty resonates with me on a personal level. They express struggles and frustrations that many of us experience but rarely talk about. Their song ‘Chasing Pennies’ embodies the daily struggles of the average person against the harsh economic realities. It’s like they’re singing my life. Their music gives me the courage to keep pursuing my dreams, despite the hardships. They remind me that even in the face of ‘sore inflation,’ we must keep chasing pennies, keep chasing our dreams.”