From the recording Heavy Wood
Lyrics/Music - Scott Cook
Jez - Guitar/Vocals/Harmonica
James Patrick Gavin - Fiddle
Nye Parsons - Double-bass
Scott wrote this song as a dry and somewhat desperate response to the “financial crisis” of 2008 onwards, after watching a film called “Inside Job”. He considered it so bleak and depressing that he didn’t think to sing it live on a regular basis, not wanting to depress his audiences.
Amazed to find that no-one had registered it as a lyric, let alone a song title, he release it on his 2011 album, “Moonlit Rambles” and very soon he had people begging him to play it live and going wild when he did. Not only that, but other singers heard it and wanted to sing it themselves. Corin Raymond released a version on his “Paper Nickels” album, Scotty Dunbar sings it, the late, great Stephen Goodall sang it, to name but a few. I’ve been singing it for a few years now and it’s become a real favourite in many circles.
Scott commented that it seems no matter how clearly you sing about how we have all been (and continue to be) royally shafted by the financial criminals who run our banking system, if you put it in a major key with a nice quick tempo, people love it. He also commented that it seems strange to call it a “financial crisis” when those who work in finance seemed to do so well out of the whole thing…