We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.
/

about

This song is ninety-two years old. Although Rachel left out her verse about Mar-A-Lago this time, it all sounds pretty familiar.

When Bessie Smith recorded Poor Man's Blues it was still 1928. The Roaring Twenties. Ostentatious wealth. Organized crime. Crooked politicians on the take. Still a few months to go before it all collapsed following the 1929 crash. The Great Depression followed, not to mention the environmental disaster of the Dust Bowl.

I've heard that song before.

lyrics

Mister rich man, rich man
Open up your heart and mind
Mister rich man, rich man
Open up your heart and mind
Give the poor man a chance
Help stop these hard times

Well you living in your mansion
You don't know what hard time means
Well you living in your mansion
You don't know what hard time means
The poor man's wife is starving
Your wife's living like a queen

Listen to our pleading
We can't stand these hard times long
Listen to our pleading
We can't stand these hard times long
Make an honest man do things
You and I both know are wrong

All men fought all the battles
All men would fight again today
All men fought all the battles
All man would fight again today
They do anything you want
In the name of the U.S.A

Now the war is over
All men wanna be the same as you
Well the war is over
All men wanna be the same as you
Mister rich man, rich man
Without the poor man, what would you do?

credits

from Spadina Saturday Night, released December 19, 2020
Marion Sunshine, 1928
Recorded by Bessie Smith, 1928
Vocal Rachel Zilberg
Photo Patrick Tevlin

license

all rights reserved

tags

If you like Patrick Tevlin, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now