Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
For today’s Tunes Tuesday, I am highlighting the words of a poignant Bruce Hornsby song.
I promised to focus my Tunes Tuesday posts on political lyrics from now until the election, so this song continues in that vein. This song has always touched me. The most important line in this song is “But don’t you believe them!”
The election is two weeks away. Have you voted?
That’s Just the Way It Is
Bruce Hornsby
Standing in line marking time, waiting for the welfare dime
‘Cause they can’t buy a job
The man in the silk suit hurries by
As he catches the poor old ladies’ eyes just for fun he says, “Get a job”
That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
But don’t you believe them
They say hey little boy you can’t go where the others go
‘Cause you don’t look like they do
Said hey old man how can you stand to think that way
Did you really think about it before you made the rules, he said, son
That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
But don’t you believe them
Well they passed a law in ’64
To give those who ain’t got a little more
But it only goes so far because the law don’t change another’s mind
When all it sees at the hiring time is the line on the color bar
That’s just the way it is
Some things will never change
That’s just the way it is
Thats just the way it is, it is, it is, it is
What do you think? What is your favorite political song? (Note: I may feature it for next week’s Tunes Tuesday post!) What is your favorite line from a song which represents your feelings on politics or social issues?
I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you for reading!
I forgot how much I love that song!
🙂 I forgot to add a video!!! Ooops!
Michael Jackson – They Don’t Care About Us – is my choice of political song.
Oooh good one! Thanks so much for reading and for the comment.
OMG what an awesome song of the times, and a wonderful choice for Tuesday Tunes! I can think of others, like “16 Tons” and “Big John” by Jimmy Dean, (For specific references to the Koch Brothers, large coal mine owners and abusers, huge contributors to the RepubliCANTS this year) but you hit the nail on the head. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!! I’m so glad you liked it! Great suggestions! Thanks so much for the comment!
Perfect!
🙂 Thank you!!!
Your song is perfect.
More fitting in the primary season: Stop, hey what’s that sound.
Ooh, good one. Thanks for stopping by, Katie! I hope your doing great!
Great song. “The get a job” line is the one I think of often when I write that people who “have” do not know what it is like to “have not.” You have to walk in someone shoes before you can spit out a line like that. Thanks for sharing us how song lyrics can live beyond when they were first penned. You are the best, BTG
🙂 Thanks, BTG!! Some musicians just bring the words to life when you take away the music, don’t they? Thanks for being my biggest Tunes Tuesday fan! 🙂
My pleasure. I am 6’5″ so I might be your biggest tunes fan. :>)
Hi there. Sory I missed this earlier. This is a very nice political song. It has a theme I think the average person can identify with.
Thanks for checking it out. I forgot to post the video, but hopefully folks already knew this one. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Not just brilliant lyrics – also a wonderful melody, rhythm and piano instrumentals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRQjzltaMQ
For songs on politics and social issues you have to look to Springsteen, Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Gil Scott-Heron, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Maybe Cohen as well – “The poor get poor, The rich get rich / That’s how it goes, Everybody knows.”
“From the Monongahela valley
To the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalachia
The story’s always the same
Seven hundred tons of metal a day
Now sir you tell me the world’s changed
Once I made you rich enough
Rich enough to forget my name”
– Youngstown, Bruce Springsteen
G
Wow. Those are great examples. Thanks so much for the comment!
I forgot to include these links to Youngstown –
Live in Youngstown 1996 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smddcs5n0H0
Live in Hyde Park London 2009 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xeeu7o_youngstown-hyde-park-bruce-sprinngs_music – I was fortunate to catch this brilliant performance by Bruce and guitar solo by Nils Lofgren.
That is so cool!! Thanks for sending these along!
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