Beyoncé Parody Brings Pain of Student Loan Debt to Life

Beyoncé's video for her hit song "Countdown" premiered last week, and while it's spawned a slew of amusing parodies, none are more relevant for college graduates than the "Student Loan Countdown," written and performed by 27-year-old freelance graphic designer Franchesca Leigh Ramsey.

Ramsey graduated from Miami International University of Art and Design with a BFA and more than $100,000 in student loan debt, she wrote on her blog. With that kind of debt hanging over her head, the New York City resident worries that she'll "never pay it all off and won’t be able to afford to start a family someday. It scares the hell out of me," she says.

With the Student Loan Debt Clock swiftly approaching $1 trillion, the verses in Ramsey's song reflect what many college grads are feeling:

"Oh, should I stand out on Wall Street?
would that even help me?
Not sure what I should do. Barack are you listening?
Oh, can I get a forebearance?
No help from my parents
I'm doing this on my own
Sallie Mae I can't pay off my student loans."

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Even though Ramsey's loans are giving her the blues, she told one commenter on the video's YouTube page that she'd "take my education over a life of poverty any day." She's also optimistic about the prospect of the economy turning around, eventually putting graduates in a "position to find better employment and pay off our debts."