That Rock and Roll Lifestyle

Musicians have been writing about making music for a long time.  There are plenty of famous songs about being a working musician on the road, like Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again," or Bob Seger's "Turn the Page," or Jackson Browne's "The Load-Out."  Other songs of this nature might focus on a particular performer - real or fictional - like Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets" or David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust."  I am, of course, omitting dozens of songs that would fit this theme (it's a blog, we don't have time).

For a while now, I've been collecting a sub-genre of the "working musician" song, a sort of satire, often self-deprecating.  These songs are funny - sometimes in a dark way - but they're not full-on gag songs.  We're not talking about a song like "Opening Band" by Paul & Storm (as fitting as that song is).

The playlist I have assembled so far has three broad themes: (1) The fans (I have only one for this sub-theme, but it hits hard); (2) Absurdity and excess; and (3) Songs about the music business itself.  It's a healthy mix of famous hits and deep cuts.

So here's the list with selected lines from each song.  It's not exhaustive; I know there are other songs of this nature out there - and I'm eager to discover them - but here's what I've got so far:

The Fans

(1) Rock 'n' Roll Lifestyle - Cake

Now tickets to concerts and drinking at clubs
Sometimes for music that you haven't even heard of
And how much did you pay for your rock 'n' roll t-shirt
That proves you were there
That you heard of them first?

Absurdity & Excess 

(2) Veteran Cosmic Rocker - The Moody Blues

The lights go down, the stage is set
The man in the wings breaks out in sweat
A backstage joker spiked his Coke
While the dressing room was full of smoke 

A crowd of fools got him high
He's afraid he's gonna die
He's the apple of their eye 

(3) Life's Been Good - Joe Walsh

I have a mansion, forget the price
Ain't never been there, they tell me its nice
I live in hotels, tear out the walls
I have accountants pay for it all  

(4) Mr. Tillman - Father John Misty

Mr. Tillman, good to see you again
There's a few outstanding charges just before we check you in
Let's see here, you left your passport in the mini fridge
And the message with the desk says here the picture isn't his
And oh, just a reminder about our policy:
Don't leave your mattress in the rain if you sleep on the balcony 

(5) Every Day Should be a Holiday - The Dandy Warhols

Summertime, I was getting paid
Getting drunk and getting laid
I'd grab a phone just to call you up and say
"Quit your job, cause I got it made"  

(6) '79: Rock 'n; Roll Will Ruin Your Life - The Magnetic Zeroes

"Listen up, kid," Mama said "I'm gonna make you scream
When I take you backstage behind that rock 'n' roll dream
You think it's all money, controlled substances
P-p-p-premarital sex and bizarre dances
You think it's all noise, a vast circus of fun
Well I wouldn't say this to just anyone...

Rock 'n' roll will ruin your life
Like your old no-goodnik dad..."

(7) Do America - Mark Knopfler

Backstage passes for the food and booze
Sunglasses for my interviews
Statue of Liberty
Everybody looking at me

Do America do do America
Do America do do America now

The Business End 

(8) So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star - The Byrds 

Then it's time to go downtown
Where the agent man won't let you down
Sell your soul to the company
Who are waiting there to sell plasticware 

And in a week or two
If you make the charts
The girls'll tear you apart  

(9) Have a Cigar - Pink Floyd

Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar, you're gonna go far
You're gonna fly high, you're never gonna die
You're gonna make it if you try, they're gonna love you
Well, I've always had a deep respect an' I mean that most sincerely
The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think
Oh, by the way, which one's Pink?

(10) Joe - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 

Go get me a kid with a good lookin' face
Bring me a kid can remember his place
Some hungry poet son-of-a-bitch
He gets to be famous, I get to be rich

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