Soundtrack to a Financial Collapse

"So all of the businessers in their unlimited hell
where they buy and they sell and they sell all their
trash to each other but they're sick of it all
and they're bankrupt on selling"

So first I have to thank Ira Glass and This American Life for the inspiration for this post. On their most recent episode entitled "Another Frightening Show About the Economy," Ira played the Modest Mouse song "Bankrupt on Selling" in between chapters. Not only had I forgotten how sweet that song was but it also got me thinking about other songs I could be listening to during this financial debacle. Music to soothe me, music to capture the "spirit in the night," music to fuel puns and jokes in order to laugh nervously about the depths to which our country is now sinking.

The following is my personal soundtrack to this crisis. I tried my best to give the songs a logical order, one that reflects the chronology of the past few weeks. If Andy and I were still doing the Massive Saxophone on WCWM, this is essentially the playlist I would be bringing to the show. I'll provide notes and lyrics to the songs I think need further explanation but hopefully the others will be self-evident. I think this also will act as a bridge to the political and musical ends of our epic blog. Enjoy!

Act One: In Youth We Learn, In Age We Understand...
1. The Beach Boys - Let Him Run Wild
2. Steeley Dan - Reelin' in the Years
3. Rammstein - Amerika
"We're all living in America! America is Wunderbar!"
4. Radiohead - House of Cards
"Infrastructure will collapse... fall off the table, get swept under... denial"

Act Two: Oh Shit...
5. Modest Mouse - Bankrupt on Selling
6. Yo La Tengo - The Lie and How We Told It
"And even as we near it, I can hear it, files in the air... we don't dare"
7. The Blood Brothers - USA Nails
Turn the sound off your TV and watch the floor of Wall St with this song blasting.
8. Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out
Ok, this song is just sweet. And there's a credit freeze.
9. Bob Dylan - Talkin' World War III Blues
10. A Tribe Called Quest - I Left My Wallet in El Segundo
11. Thieves Like Us - Drugs in My Body
New Order's "Thieves Like Us" just isn't sweet enough.

Act Three: C'mon, Guys!
12. The Beatles - You Never Give Me Your Money
13. The Zombies - Maybe After He's Gone
"Maybe after he's gone, she'll come back and want me again"
He=McCain. Gone=suspending the campaign. She=the economy.
14. The Wedding Present - Everyone Thinks He Looks Daft
Great plan, John.
15. Talking Heads - Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
16. Wilderness - End of Freedom

Act Four: Exile on "Main Street"
17. Uncle Tupelo - We've Been Had
What about Main Street? Fuck pork barrell spending!
18. The Carter Family - No Depression
"I'm going where there's no depression... my home's in heaven, that's where I'll be."
19. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
20. Simon and Garfunkel - America
21. Tokyo Police Club - Citizens of Tomorrow
22. Daniel Johnston - Devil Town

I was living in a devil town.
I didn't know it was a devil town.
Oh Lord, it really brings me down
about the devil town.

Thanks again to This American Life! and God Bless Credit Default Swaps!