James McMurtry - We Can't Make It Here Anymore These lyrics were ahead of their time in 2005. Vietnam Vet with a cardboard sign Sitting there by the left turn line Flag on the wheelchair flapping in the breeze One leg missing, both hands free No one's paying much mind to him The V.A. budget's stretched so thin And there's more comin' home from the Mideast war We can't make it here anymore That big ol' building was the textile mill It fed our kids and it paid our bills But they turned us out and they closed the doors We can't make it here anymore See all those pallets piled up on the loading dock They're just gonna set there till they rot Cause there's nothing to ship, nothing to pack Just busted concrete and rusted tracks Empty storefronts around the square There's a needle in the gutter and glass everywhere You don't come down here 'less you're looking to score We can't make it here anymore The bar's still open but man it's slow The tip jar's light and the register's low The bartender don't have much to say The regular crowd gets thinner each day Some have maxed out all their credit cards Some are working two jobs and living in cars Minimum wage won't pay for a roof, won't pay for a drink If you gotta have proof just try it yourself Mr. CEO See how far $5.15 an hour will go Take a part time job at one of your stores Bet you can't make it here anymore High school girl with a bourgeois dream Just like the pictures in the magazine She found on the floor of the laundromat A woman with kids can forget all that If she comes up pregnant what'll she do Forget the career, forget about school Can she live on faith? live on hope? High on Jesus or hooked on dope When it's way too late to just say no You can't make it here anymore. Now I'm stocking shirts in the Wal-Mart store Just like the ones we made before 'Cept this one came from Singapore I guess we can't make it here anymore Should I hate a people for the shade of their skin Or the shape of their eyes or the shape I'm in? Should I hate 'em for having our jobs today? No I hate the men who sent the jobs away I can see them all now, they haunt my dreams All lily white and squeaky clean They've never known want, they'll never know need Their shit don't stink and their kids won't bleed Their kids won't bleed in the damn little war And we can't make it here anymore Will work for food Will die for oil Will kill for power and to us the spoils The billionaires get to pay less tax The working poor get to fall through the cracks Let 'em eat jellybeans let 'em eat cake Let 'em eat shit, whatever it takes They can join the Air Force, or join the Corps If they can't make it here anymore And that's how it is That's what we got If the president wants to admit it or not You can read it in the paper Read it on the wall Hear it on the wind If you're listening at all Get out of that limo Look us in the eye Call us on the cell phone Tell us all why In Dayton, Ohio Or Portland, Maine Or a cotton gin out on the great high plains That's done closed down along with the school And the hospital and the swimming pool Dust devils dance in the noonday heat There's rats in the alley And trash in the street Gang graffiti on a boxcar door We can't make it here anymore
My wife and I are completely addicted to this Finnish symphonic metal band, “Nightwish”; have been for over 10 years. Their music ranges from folkish, to Celtic, to hard rock, to theatrical, to serene, but always melodic. Here is a music video of a song they did paying homage to Eugene Shoemaker, a planetary scientist and geologist whose ashes were taken to the moon. The lead singer for “Nightwish” is a self confessed vocal nerd who can do just about anything with her voice she wants. In this song, she sings in both a normal voice and a delicate, ethereal soprano near the end. The spoken voice is the wife of one of the other band members. I tend to have kind of eclectic musical tastes and have lately been exploring some of the metal music out of Japan. This group, “Baby Metal” is a fusion of what are called “Idol Bands” in Japan with virtuosic metal. It’s a complete blitz, all over the map.
Glad you enjoyed them. Nightwish is a journey, so many variations on their music. Tuomas Holopainen, the keyboard player, is the originator of the band as well as composer and lyricist. They have had significant line up changes over the years but seem to somehow evolve with the new members. Floor Jansen is, IMO, the best singer they’ve had. Extremely versatile, a powerhouse, and emotionally engaged in the music they perform. In exploring the Japanese bands, I also came across “Wagakki Band” a fusion of traditional Japanese and contemporary metal. Another interesting one.