Category Archives: Chicago Song

Chicago Song, Listen, New Song

I Got Dibs

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A brand new song about throwing your trash in the street to get dibs

Some nice, high-quality trash, strewn about in the Chicago streets to gain dibs on a parking spot in the winter.
Some nice, high-quality trash, strewn about in the Chicago streets to gain dibs on a parking spot in the winter.

Well, well. Here we are in the depths of Winter, no?

Here we are, Chicago, just freezing our butts off and we gotta get inside so quick.

This song that I wrote is pretty obvious. We all know about the time-honored tradition of throwing your unused chairs and other furniture out into the street to save your precious parking spot. We all know someone who takes dibs regularly. And we all know someone who regularly talks about how they’re the downfall of modern, industrial society.

So it’s a song about dibs. And here are some for you to look at while you listen to the tune:

Chicago dibsmore Chicago dibsAnd even more Chicago dibsdibs again...beautiful dibs

I based this tune on an old hymnal. Check out the original version. It’s similar:

Download the tune now, for free! I’ve added it to the on-going, oft-updated album Rahm Songs.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

The Talkin’ Red Light Blues

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The More Things Change…

So, I caught this report about red light traffic cameras on the news the other day. And, at first, I kind of laughed to myself. HA HA HA Mayor Rahm screwing up again! But then I was like, “Hey, wait a minute, wasn’t this an issue back in 2009? Didn’t I write a song about something like this?”

The Talkin' Red Light Blues
A city of Chicago worker making the city a safer place.

Yeah. I did. Here it is.

Now, Rahm was not Mayor of Chicago back then, so CTA buses speeding through red lights and getting tickets from red light cameras installed by His Holiness Mayor Daley really can’t be blamed on him.

Oh, wait. Oops.

So, nothing has changed, except that Mister Mayor himself got caught by the cameras this time. And not just the red light cameras, but also the speed-trap cameras that he had installed. HILARIOUS.

Seriously, did you read this article? READ IT.

“No one is above the law.” (Unless no one notices.)

Mayor Emanuel wants the city to be SAFER, so he installed cameras to make us all drive slower. But he’s got a city to run, okay? Get out of his way.

So you see, I had to do a rewrite of the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues. HAD TO.

Enjoy.

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

The Talkin’ CTA Blues (Rahm Emanuel Version)

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Same Old, Same Old

Well, this is another Chicago-inspired tune that I wrote several years ago. In 2008! But, the more things change, the more they stay the same, right? The CTA is still crashing trains, but instead of Mayor Daley making things right, we’ve got Rahm Emanuel.

The Talkin' CTA Blues (Rahm Emanuel Version)
In Chicago, infrastructure is priority number one.

I wrote the original version about a CTA crash on the blue line, but since there was just recently this one (or, even this one that I saw happen), I figured I better update the song a little. You can read about the original version and listen to it here. Or, if you feel like supporting a local musician, buy the song here. You’ll notice the differences.

For one, Chicago isn’t trying to get the Olympics any more, but Mayor Rahm does want to use our hard earned dollars and change to build a shiny basketball arena for DePaul University. They MUST need it bad, huh? Go ahead and read up on it. The Chicago Reader always has some good points.

Anyway, I always enjoyed this song. Singing it, performing it. I’m adding it back into my lineup. Maybe you’ll catch a show where I play it sometime soon?

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

Rahm Emanuel Says (I’m Guided by the Love of Gold)

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A New Version of Mister Mayor Says

With all the big issues you have to deal with in a big city like Chicago, who better to deal with them than good, ol’ Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

Rahm Emanuel Says (I'm Guided by the Love of Gold)
Rahm Emanuel has good intentions and good will for all of the citizens of Chicago.

I first wrote this song WAY BACK near the end of 2009. The original subject being good, ol’ Mayor Daley, may God rest his soul. I never figured he’d retire from his job and thought I’d get to keep singing the song and singing it until I died.

But all good things come to an end.

Good, ol’ Mayor Daley retired and good, ol’ Mayor Rahm stepped right in. So, I figured I better update my song a bit just for him.

You’re welcome, Mister Mayor.

If you’d like to hear the original recording that appeared on my album It’s Chicago! from 2010, go here. If you’d like to hear some other draft recordings, go here and here.

Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.

Chicago Song, Listen, Rewritten Song

Everybody Bound For Glory

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AKA This Truck Ain’t Doin’ No Cookin’ (Version 2)

Everybody Bound For Glory (Ain't Doin' No Cookin', version 2)

I haven’t done a rewrite or re-recording of an old song in a long, long time (if you consider 7 months ago a long time). But I figured I’d get going on these again, at least to get me thinking about writing songs again. It’s been awhile since I even considered that (other than the Talkin’ Headline Blues that I’ve been keeping up with). Mainly that’s been due to not being on anti-depressants, then being on them, then feeling like a crazy person, then wanting to tear out all my veins, then feeling okay again, and, finally, repeating all that over and over and over.

So, anyway, I’m doing these again. Or, at least I’m going to try to keep up with them. This one is from back in late-November 2011. This is where you can hear the original and read about where the song came from.

It’s a little interesting because the original version was about a very specific thing. I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to rewrite it since it’s so out of date. Then I started thinking about cooking. About doing no cooking. About what else you’d be doing with your stove if you weren’t cooking. About how anyone manages to hold it all together every single day.

So, it’s about a lot of things. Mainly it has nothing to do with cooking, though. See?

Also, this new version is a new version of an old song I wrote, but that old song was a rip-off of another, older song that I changed the words of in order to get my point across.

This new version feels more like a rewrite of that original, older song, Bound For Glory. It’s got no agenda. It makes every point. It’s got almost none of me in it. It’s got almost all of me in it.

It’s both of everything and none of nothing.