Hitting Home.

I've been wanting to write a post for quite a while about the 'melting away' of Detroit. . . When we moved here a little over five years ago, the main street that we live just off of - 9 Mile - was full of successful businesses. Over the last 18 months, it has quickly changed and I'm afraid it will soon be a ghost town. I counted closed businesses 9 mile the other day just from the freeway to my street, so, less than a mile stretch, and there are nearly 20! I counted 1 that closed down and have moved to another location as well, but they're still gone from here! There are also 2 that have had new businesses move in, and hopefully they'll last, but the way it's going, who knows? There are too many houses in foreclosure to even start to count - and *if* they're selling, they are going for peanuts. There are signs everywhere for houses from $5,000-30,000. No longer are we just hearing of the job cuts on the news, they're now our friends.

Anyway, I was in the car the other day when I heard a new song on the radio. It's called "Shutting Detroit Down" by John Rich (of the country duo Big & Rich). He was watching the news less than three weeks ago, and was frustrated by the state of our country, and got a song idea in his head. He sat and wrote the song from start to finish in an hour (!), and it was just recorded. It will be on his new cd released in May, but for now it is getting a LOT of play on the radio. In fact, I heard tonight that it is the most requested song EVER for one of our radio stations here. (99.5 WYCD) I'm not from Detroit, of course, but it's my home right now, and while this song really is about the whole country, it hit home *hard*. I still can't listen to it with dry eyes.

Take a look at the great lyrics made *much* better by the melody, but I could only find super long videos w/interviews of it yet. . . what the heck, I'll include a link at the end - you can follow it or not. . . and you're also looking at a few pictures of my slowly deserted street that I took last summer. I've been wanting to drive through with my flip video to catch it all. . . I probably will soon.

SHUTTING DETROIT DOWN ~John Rich

My daddy taught me that in this country everyone’s the same 

You work hard for your dollar and you never pass the blame
When it don’t go your way
Now I see all these big shots cryin’ on my evening news 

About how they’re losin’ billions and how it’s up to me and you
To come running to the rescue
Well pardon me if I don’t shed a tear ‘cause they’re selling make believe
And we don’t buy that here 



Chorus
Cause in the real world they're shutting Detroit down

While the boss man takes his bonus pay and jets out of town
And DC’s bailing out them bankers as the farmers auction ground
Yeah while they’re living it up on Wall Street in that New York City town
Here in the real world they’re shuttin’ Detroit down. 

They’re shuttin’ Detroit down.” 




Well that old man’s been workin’ in that plant most all of his life
Now his pension plan’s been cut in half and he can’t afford to die 

And it’s a crying shame ‘cause he ain’t the one to blame 

When I look down and see his calloused hands 

Let me tell you friend it gets me fightin’ mad 



Chorus

Yeah while there’ living it up on Wall Street in that New York City town 

Here in the real world there shuttin’ Detroit down 

Here in the real world there shuttin’ Detroit down 


In the real world they’re shuttin Detroit down
They’re shuttin’ Detroit down.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoIXxFSq7og