Lyric discussion by TheSneakyWaffle 

Cover art for Dust Bowl lyrics by 10,000 Maniacs

The best version of this song is by Natalie live in concert. The first verse is from the point of view of a single mother in modern times. The second verse is told by a single mother in the Dust Bowl era in the 1930s, and the third verse represents the hopes of poor people from all eras. It's about cyclical poverty and the strength of those who live amid it.