Behind The Music: Writing "The Recession Blues"

Couldn't sleep tonight so I got started on a new song. Wrote this one on my ukulele after playing around with the chord progression for weeks. The music started out a bit faster-paced but I slowed it down. Once I got it to a tempo I liked, I realized that it - for whatever reason - reminded me of an old black and white film. From there, I got to thinking about The Great Depression which then reminded me of the news recently about the debt ceiling and all of the financial turmoil America seems to be in these days. So I wrote the following song (audio posted below the lyrics):

Money’s tight and times are tough

But we’ve got a roof over our heads

Working hard from nine to five

Induces some stress

But at the end of the day

We’ll come home to rest

What’s the use in complaining

Things could always be worse

There are people without the means we’ve got

Let’s make do with this here lot

So Uncle Sam’s got you down

What else is new, that’s the standard fare in this town

The news is depressin’

Especially in this here recession

But dust it off, don’t wear a frown

What’s the use in complaining

Things could always be worse

There are people without the means we’ve got

Let’s make do with this here lot

[Whistle solo goes here]

We’ve made it through wars

And other manic attacks

We’ve made it through the worst

We always make a comeback

There are people without the means we’ve got

Let’s make do with this here lot