Arthur Meighen
Came to power.
After Borden resigned
He was the man of the hour.

A Member of Parliament
Since 1908,
A brilliant debater
He pulled his own weight.

He called an election
In '21,
But lost to the Liberals,
His short tenure done.

He came back briefly
In '25,
But again was defeated
So he chose to resign.

Through three separate terms
Twenty-two years in all
William Lyon Mackenzie King
Answered the call.

While he was Prime Minister
He helped settle strikes
Making industry and labour Respect each other's rights

Chorus:
Prosperity, Depression, Recovery, then War
Canadians had more problems than ever before.

The Roaring 20's took some Canadians
Down prosperity road.
King passed legislation
To help everyone share the load.

Such as Old Age Pensions
That retirees get,
This signaled the start
Of a social safety net.

In 1926
He was forced to resign.
A scandal was brewing,
It got way out of line

But he returned to power
The very same year.
That Canadians trusted him
Was very clear.

Bridge

The Stock Market crashed.  The Depression came.
King couldn't fix it.  Some held him to blame.
Everyone suffered and jobs were lost.
It's hard to imagine the human cost.

Chorus:
Prosperity, Depression, Recovery, then War
Canada faced more problems than ever before.

King lost to Bennett
In 1930.
The Depression was on and
The times "they were dirty."

Bennett was the first P.M.
To rise in the west.
For five long years
He tried his best.

To end the Depression
And make things okay
But hard times in Canada
Would not go away.

The programs he needed
Were brought in too late
So 1935
Was his exit date.

Bridge

To buy gas for the car
Very few could pay
So autos sat rusting out
The days away.
But some were hitched
to horses,
So they would move
Known as 'Bennett Buggies',
R.B. wasn't amused.

Chorus:
Prosperity, Depression, Recovery, then War
Canadians had to face more problems than ever before.

King returned to power
And people's hopes rose.
Then came World War II
With its horrors and woes.

He mobilized Canada
For the Allied side.
Canadians fought and
Canadians died.

Like Churchill and Roosevelt
King really did strive
To gain victory
In 1945.

With the coming of peace
The good times returned,
So King retired
To the rest that he had earned.

Chorus:
Prosperity, Depression, Recovery, then War
Canadians had more problems than ever before.
Prosperity, Depression, Recovery, then War
Canadians had to face more problems than ever before