Question

Read the excerpt from the song, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

They used to tell me I was building a dream,
And so I followed the mob—
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear
I was always there—right on the job.

Which best restates the main idea of these lines?
A mob of men built the dream, farmed the earth, and fought in the war.
The average American will always work when there is work to be completed.
The heroic men standing in line for food were used to building and fighting for the American dream.
The Great Depression is the most difficult challenge the American public ever endured.

Answer 1

The average American will always work when there is work to be completed.

Reason: the speaker says he followed the crowd and was always there doing needed work—plowing or fighting—so the lines emphasize dependable labor and service when work was required.