Kickass protest song--free download!

[Gruenemann]

JAMES McMURTRY OFFERS NEW SONG “WE CAN’T MAKE IT HERE” WITH POLITICAL MESSAGE OF CHANGE, AVAILABLE FREE ON THE INTERNET
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 27, 2004


AUSTIN, Texas – James McMurtry has never considered himself a political songwriter, but this year he found he just couldn’t remain silent.



The singer/songwriter and recording artist, whose recent album Live In Aught-Three (Compadre) was widely kudo’d by critics including author Steven King in Entertainment Weekly, wrote a socially charged new song, “We Can’t Make It Here,” which he will distribute free as an MP3 over the Internet this week.



URL for the audio download is http://www.digitalvisionmedia.com/compadre/downloadmcmurtry.html



“I see so much out there that I don’t hear songs being written about, except by Steve Earle,” he says. “This is the first political rant I’ve done. I wrote it really fast and hopefully it doesn’t preach too much. But if it gets more person to the polls, I’ll consider it a success.”



"I've always been a little put off by activists. So you know it's a dire situation when I have to become an activist myself," he adds.



The song was debuted on XM satellite Radio’s “Austin Nights” broadcast from Threadgill’s.



For the benefit of radio, McMurtry has inserted old fashioned "Boy Named Sue"-style bleeps over all FCC sensitive words on the recording.



Following are the lyrics to "We Can't Make it Here":



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 workin’ two jobs and livin’ 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



Wow 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 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



Music and lyrics © 2004 by James McMurtry



# # #



For more information regarding James McMurtry, please contact conqueroo:

Cary Baker [phone] [e-mail]

[CPschem]

1. Thank you for this link!

Great song- love McMurtry!

[mr_hat]

2. Ditto. I always considered "Levelland" >

a political commetary, albeit a wistful one.

[SudieJD]

3. Thank You!

Wow! And just when I thought that the only songs like this were in the 60' and 70's! Thank You!

Sudie in MN

[SudieJD]

4. Here's What A Repuke Had To Say..

I posted the lyrics on the cooking site I go to (full of repukes):

Posted by: CookandBottlewasher_NV Posted on: 10/30/2004 11:45:22 AM
#R4637411
Sudie your song doesn't even make sense...

Working 2 jobs, livin in my car... Why??? 2 jobs, one should have a roof over their head... Might not have a dvd player, cell phone, computer and internet access, but should deffinately have a roof over ones head... It's called getting your priorities in order...

If minimum wage aint cuttin it, get to your nearest community college and educate yourself! Dah! Not expencive and it can be done (if you want it bad enough) while you work a part or full time job...

Too many spoiled cry babies in this country. Who said life was easy or fair??? You have to go out and WORK Hard to better yourself...Not wallow in self pity...



UGH!

Sudie in MN

[davsand]

5. Not exactly a "feel good" song.

It is amazingly strong--and leaves you angry--but it points out how depressing it really is out there. Makes me think of Galesburg, Illinois and all the other towns that are just decimated by the loss of factories and layoffs.

In some ways, this one rocks me back more than Mosh did simply because you don't hear protest songs like that any more.

Thanks for sharing it!

Laura