I recently got an email from a bluegrass band here in Chicago called Tangleweed: “much of the work we perform deals with rural and urban poverty and characters who are “gett’in by when your gett’ins gone.” They pointed me to their song “Hard Times” which you can find here.
And it got me thinking–what songs belong on a great recession-themed mix tape?
Some ideas:
Living on a Prayer, Bon Jovi (suggested by Susie An)
Feel the Pain, Dinosaur Jr. (suggested by Jason Marck)
Shining My Shoes, Daniel Knox (suggested by Andrew Gill)
Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton (my pick)
I’ll keep adding to this list & would love to know what you think–what songs would you put on a recession mix-tape?
House Rent Boogie, by John Lee Hooker
Closing lyrics:
I goes back across the street, I tell the ol’ land-lady, I says, “Yes, yes, I’m gonna get the rent together.”
She says, “Yeah?”
I said, “Ohhh, yeah, I’m gonna get it.”
She says, “You gonna pay me the back rent?”
I said, “Oh, yeah, I’m gonna pay you all of it.”
Talkin’ ’bout the back rent, talkin’ ’bout the back rent.
She gonna get none of it!
And I eased on out the do’ then, with my clothes.
You ain’t gettin’ nothin’.
And I got on away from the house.
Talkin’ ’bout some back rent . . .
She lucky if she get any front rent!
By: Pete O. on February 13, 2009
at 2:58 pm
I have two more suggestions via twitter:
“That’s Just the Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby
and
“Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell
By: Adriene on February 13, 2009
at 4:09 pm
2 suggestions:
“ain’t nothing going on but the rent” by gwen guthrie
“for the love of money” by the o’jays
By: mrs. e. on February 18, 2009
at 10:05 pm
“Take Your Carriage Clock and Shove It” – Belle & Sebastian
By: Brian Battle on February 19, 2009
at 10:45 am
3 Folkish Suggestions
All by Old Crow Medicine Show, same album.
“Poor Man”
“Take ‘em Away”
“We’re All In This Together”
More about “hard times” in general but still fitting.
By: mr. e. on February 21, 2009
at 7:07 pm