The Kitchen Musician ~ November 2015
This month I officially launch the presidential election season with an old fashioned “talking blues”, like those made famous by Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan. Caution, this may not be suitable to view at work, unless of course you work for the Democratic National Committee.
Index
News:
This Month’s Music: “Talking Presidential Election Blues”
Upcoming Shows
Featured Non-Profit: OurTime.org
Celebrating Jake Kensinger last September.
Photo: © 2015 Dan Tappan
News
Looking ahead to December, I am pumped to spend an hour in the studio with Dave Palmater in front of a live studio audience to record a Studio Session Live show for later broadcast.
I also succumbed to a common malady among singer-songwriters. I bought another guitar. You can see it in this month’s video. Sometimes I wonder why Margo puts up with me. I suppose it could be worse.
This Month’s Music
Talking Presidential Election Blues
Talking Presidential Election Blues
© 2015 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
Lyrics in comments below
One of the good things about not relying on music for my livelihood is that I am free to write and perform without considering if my songs would adversely affect my career. This month, however I confess that I am a little worried that I may lose some of my more conservative friends after they hear my comments on the upcoming presidential election.
My song uses an old folk song form known as the talking blues, even though it isn’t really a blues. The first known recording of a talking blues was by Christopher Allen Bouchillon in 1926. The form increased in popularity in the 1940’s when Woody Guthrie used it very effectively for numerous songs, including Talking Dust Bowl Blues. Famously, Bob Dylan brought the talking blues to a mass audience in the 1960’s with songs like Talking John Birch Society Blues. By this time the genre was commonly used as a means for political or topical commentary. I too have used the form in an early Kitchen Musician issue when I introduced the Talking Post-Trauma Blues, which currently has over 59,000 views on Youtube!
If you disagree with my Talking Presidential Election Blues, I suggest that you write your response in the form of a song. Please include a link to it in the comments section below. I promise I will listen carefully.
Please vote! … and take a friend or neighbor with you!
– Tom
(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)
Upcoming Shows
Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 5:00 pm, Manomet, MA
I have the honor to be included in Bob Crownfield’s Studio Session Live series, hosted by Dave Palmater. We record in front of a live studio audience for later broadcast. Stay tuned for shedule and stations.
Friday, December 18, 2015 at 7:00 pm, Dedham, MA
Joining a gaggle of singer/songwriters at the New England to Nashville artist showcase at the Dedham Square Coffeehouse (formerly known as Paradise Café). Groups of three or four in-the-round, all night long!
Thursday, December 31, 2015 at 10:00 pm, Needham, MA
I am pleased to return to the Homegrown Coffeehouse for our annual New Year’s Eve program, in the round with Chris Pahud, Cheryl Perreault and Steve Rapson (collectively known as “The Rounders”.)
Click to view details for all upcoming shows.
Featured Non-profit: OurTime.org
“OurTime.org is one of the nation’s largest non-profit organizations committed to increasing the voter participation of young Americans. Since our launch in 2011, we have registered hundreds of thousands of young voters by organizing education campaigns, forming strategic partnerships with heavily trafficked online brands, dozens of A-list and YouTube celebrities, and by utilizing our state-of-the-art voter registration technology.”
OurTime.org is not affiliated with any political party. They prefer to describe themselves as pro-generational, meaning that “we carefully track and consider the majority views of our generation and do our best to represent those positions without shilling for political parties.”
Please join me in supporting the work of OurTime.org.
Note: OurTime.org is not affiliated in any way with OurTime.COM, which is a dating site.
Tom
November 12, 2015Talking Presidential Election Blues
© 2015 Tom Smith
Here we go again, another election year
Political ads fill up the air
They’re selling the next president
And 469 congressmen
The last time we did this only 58% of us fulfilled our obligation to vote. — Just sayin’
Some say when choosing a president
We should put our trust in the one percent
Cut their taxes down to the bone
Fill our buckets with money that trickles down
Let’s see, that’s 99 for them and one for the rest of us. — 99 for them and one for the rest of us.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
I’m just a guy who works for minimum wage
It must have been like this in the Middle Age
A servant to a feudal lord
I work for the guy with the biggest sword
I guess I should be grateful though — doing such useful work — like building walls around the castle. — Got to keep out all those rapists and drug dealers.
Science says there is no doubt
What’s causing all this heat and drought
But when we can’t farm nor drink due to climate change
They’ll still be drinking from the Koch machine
That’s the Charles and David Koch machine
Champions of freedom and fossil fuel, with the best politicians money can buy
When god co-authors the laws we make
And we’re burning witches at the stake
And when we measure freedom in our land
By the count of guns in every hand
We can thank or blame those of us who voted — and those who did not.
I’ll tell it straight. We’ve got a choice to make.
Do we want to live in a country full of greed and hate?
Where black lives don’t matter and facts are ignored?
And public interest is on the cutting board?
Yes, we have a choice to make. –Will I see you in November?
Oen Kennedy
November 24, 2015Hi Tom, Cindy and I just watched your Election Blues and loved it, and laughed! At the end, Cindy said: “I love Tom. He is very brave!”
Tom
November 25, 2015Thank you Oen and Cindy. I suppose I am more scared than brave. But also hopeful.
Anne Sandstrom
November 12, 2015As I said Monday at LOMA, this is fantastic! Very well written. And I do agree with the sentiments.
Tom
November 12, 2015Thank you Anne. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize. Take care.
Cooper
November 12, 2015Great stuff, Tom, as always.
Tom
November 25, 2015Thanks Coop. Play on!
Carol Reeners
November 28, 2015Great song!
Hank Mixsell
November 29, 2015Great works (again), Tom. Reminds me of Woody, Pete, and Arlo!
Elaine
December 31, 2015Tom,
True, true, true. Amazing! Let me see… do I agree???? umm, YES!
Thank you for putting into words the thoughts of many of us.
The New Year ahead, and all we can do is hope… and vote!
So many more days to listen to the nonsense of some folks.
Happy New Year to you and yours,
Elaine