Track of the Week: I Need a Dollar by Aloe Blacc
This week's track is I Need a Dollar, by Aloe Blacc. I first heard this song as the intro song to How To Make It In America, HBO's new show chronicling the life of two young men hustling in New York City to try to enter the fashion business.
Lyrically great, and searching soulful, the song centers around the coming of bad times and the path towards losing one's job. It's acutally a pretty sad song of a man in desperate need of a break. Even though it has a pretty classic soul sound it was recorded Feb 2010, which makes me feel like it codifies the life millions of people must be going through as they lose their jobs or fall on hard times during the recession.
I had a job but the boss man let me go
He said / I'm sorry but I won't be needing your help no more
I said / Please mister boss man I need this job more than you know
But he gave me my last paycheck and he sent me on out the door