We all have the same job to do - IanR original (LITLR)

[IanR]

Hi Folks,

I guess that I'm stuck in the COVID-19 Festival.

Can't ask you to like the message but perhaps you can like the way its delivered.

Love to you all,

Ian

[Redler]

I like the chord progression of this. The vocal delivery is beautiful and melodic - right up on my street. Fine folky vibe...

Brilliant job, Ian!!

[AndyR]

Cool song, and I like the way it's delivered.

You've moved me enough to break cover on the message - so far I've tried very hard to hide what my views on all this are.

/RANT...
Two of my songs, internally and personally for me, touch on the sh!t we've been going through (Me Too and Edith Finally Gets It), but I very much didn't want to "tie them" to covid/pandemic/lockdown stuff, because they're not about that, they're about the human condition, how we succeed (and fail), and support each other (or not), and how our perceptions might not be absolutely correct, but they're all we've got, and we should trust our own perceptions - NOT ANYONE ELSE'S... stuff is real enough right in front of us without blindly believing what we hear from elsewhere... sure, listen to it all, empathise or congratulate, be appalled or entertained, or... whatever is the appropriate response... but above all apply your own intellect - we seem to have two broad categories of folk in the world now: "everything you hear or read is true, omigod, everybody" and "nothing you hear or read is true, omigod, everybody" ... I left all social media some years ago because of it, I never intend to go back - as in reregister - it doesn't seem to be getting any better... In the last x months I've stopped following news too closely too - there's too much opinion and not enough facts... I understand why this is, they've got jobs to do too, and I sympathise muchly but, I'm sorry, as far as I'm concerned, sod off, I don't want to read your endless witterings and opinions rattling around in the echo chamber of "we haven't got any facts yet" (and I'm very aware I'm doing EXACTLY the same bluddy thing in this paragraph - don't believe me folks, think for yourselves...)
/RANT over...

I haven't felt moved to write or express myself about covid-19 otherwise.

My wife was getting depressed by her boss who has been something of a doom merchant for weeks and weeks, and still is, by the way. Find a bit of good news and he'll see the disaster that this will cause elsewhere. A few weeks back, I said to her in response to whatever he'd been saying that day, about financial markets, probably, and that she was telling me in an "omigod, my boss says" kinda way:

"Yes, there will be losers... it might be us... and most of them will be people who were expecting to win... but there will also be winners... it might be us... life has ALWAYS been like this... it's just that, for many of us, the society we've built has hidden it from us... we're all expecting it to just get "more" forever... business expects "growth" all the time... you expect to get a pay rise every year... you expect to buy more "stuff"... but it's the last 40/50 years that has been a weird exception... life underneath that veneer is HARD... it should be hard... life is CHANGE and personal involvement... sometimes big change, sometimes little, sometimes good, sometimes less good... We can be passengers/victims or we can stay awake and accept and adapt to the changes... Our lives are in our own hands... we all have the same job to do: look for the next dinner, help our neighbours if/when we can, and try to enjoy ourselves and have a laugh while we're doing it... and THAT'S IT... that's what life really is... now (I asked her), is that part broken right now?"

That cheered her right up. She's not immune, but she's getting less depressed by his fears and rants. We still have our own, but they're our fears and rants not someone else's.

I know there are lots of people with much different and harder circumstances than us, we know some of them ourselves. But I've learnt recently that I'm kind of in a different place than I thought I was, even more "positive" than I realised  (I was asked to contribute to a "lockdown blog" for my local area - and I was amazed to find my entire lockdown story and outlook when written like that was very much "glass half full" and full of hope). I am kinda glass half full anyway - I know my songs might not sound it! - but I was really surprised to find that I see what's happening as a big change, yes, but a new start... I might not actually see the results myself - I am one of the more "at risk" folks - but that doesn't matter, I've just got to play my part, and enjoy being alive, for as long as I'm part of the game. Yes, we all have the same job to do, and that's what the job is.


Anyways, sorry to go on - but YESSSSS, Ian, I love your message, as I hear it, it is my message too, and I suspect it is the message of many many others.

I utterly love this song. 

[kenny mac]

This reminds me of joe pug a great artist.
Just the style not the sing.
Acoustic sounds great,well done.

[Ferryman_1957]

I think you were channelling Woody Guthrie here Ian. Great sentiments in the song, and it's really well played and sung. You've captured an up close and personal folky feel for this one, and it works well.

This is the first time in my lifetime we have faced a serious issue that potentially affects everyone. Your lyrics really speak to the impact that every individual can have. Very nicely done.

[IanR]

Anyways, sorry to go on - but YESSSSS, Ian, I love your message, as I hear it, it is my message too, and I suspect it is the message of many many others.

Thanks Andy: Yours is by far the World Record for a Songcrafters response to one of my songs :-)

Thanks to everyone else for the feedback received. It is very much appreciated.

Ian

[Greeny]

This is beautiful, Ian. Bob Dylan meets Billy Bragg to my ears. Some lovely chord changes and I really like the folky, no-nonsense delivery. It was a great choice to do this LitLR.

These are strange times indeed. And yes, we do all have the same job to do - stay sane, stay healthy, and care for each other.

[Flash Harry]

I was just thinking Woody Guthrie when I was scrolling through and I see Nigel has already said  it.

But yes, simple, powerful message delivered simply and powerfully.

I like this.

[Mike_S]

Loving the honest simplicity of this Ian. No gimmicks, no fancy production tricks. Just you vocals and guitar. Love the vocal delivery. Really great, touching tune.

Mike