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Songs about getting screwed by your label


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A friend of mine was talking about getting screwed by a website elsewhere, and that he wrote a song about it.

That sparked me to thinking about other songs on the same topic; and these came to mind:

"Baby You're a Rich Man" - The Beatles

"The Compromise" - The Format

 

And, I know that there are many others.

Might make for a good mix. Can you help me out?

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Not sure if it's about getting screwed, but it is certainly done with tongue firmly in cheek.

"I Love My Label" - Nick Lowe

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Winston,

Supposedly it was written at a time where the guys in the band were getting kinda pissed at Brian Epstien for some of his shadier business practices. Or at least for some of his posturing. Not sure if it's true, but that's the legend. (Supposedly the original title of the song was "Baby, You're a Rich Fag Jew". Again, not sure if that's true or not, but that's the legend.)

 

Lyrics:

How does it feel to be

One of the beautiful people?

Now that you know who you are

What do you want to be?

And have you travelled very far?

Far as the eye can see.

How does it feel to be

One of the beautiful people?

How often have you been there?

Often enough to know.

What did you see, when you were there?

Nothing that doesn't show.

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man too.

You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo.

What a thing to do.

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man too.

How does it feel to be

One of the beautiful people?

Tuned to a natural E

Happy to be that way.

Now that you've found another key

What are you going to play?

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man,

Baby you're a rich man too.

You keep all your money in a big brown bag inside a zoo.

What a thing to do.

Baby you're a rich man...

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The Smiths - Paint a Vulgar Picture

 

At the record company meeting

On their hands - a dead star

And oh, the plans they weave

And oh, the sickening greed

 

At the record company party

On their hands - a dead star

The sycophantic slags all say :

"I knew him first, and I knew him well"

 

Re-issue ! Re-package ! Re-package !

Re-evaluate the songs

Double-pack with a photograph

Extra Track (and a tacky badge)

 

A-list, playlist

"Please them , please them !"

"Please them !"

(sadly, THIS was your life)

 

But you could have said no

If you'd wanted to

You could have said no

If you'd wanted to

 

BPI, MTV, BBC

"Please them ! Please them !"

(sadly this was your life)

 

But you could have said no

If you'd wanted to

You could have walked away

...Couldn't you ?

 

I touched you at the soundcheck

You had no real way of knowing

In my heart I begged "Take me with you ...

I don't care where you're going..."

 

But to you I was faceless

I was fawning, I was boring

Just a child from those ugly new houses

Who could never begin to know

 

Who could never really know

Oh ...

 

Best of ! Most of !

Satiate the need

Slip them into different sleeves !

Buy both, and feel deceived

 

Climber - new entry, re-entry

World tour ! ("media whore")

"Please the Press in Belgium !"

(THIS was your life...)

 

And when it fails to recoup ?

Well, maybe :

You just haven't earned it yet, baby

 

I walked a pace behind you at the soundcheck

You're just the same as I am

What makes most people feel happy

Leads us headlong into harm

 

So, in my bedroom in those 'ugly new houses'

I danced my legs down to the knees

But me and my 'true love'

Will never meet again ...

 

At the record company meeting

On their hands - at last ! - a dead star !

But they can never taint you in my eyes

No, they can never touch you now

 

No, they cannot hurt you, my darling

They cannot touch you now

But me and my 'true love'

Will never meet again

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Sex Pistols "E.M.I."

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd "Workin' for MCA"

 

Ohhh ... seven years of hard luck, comin' down on me

From the Florida border, yes, up to Nashville Tennessee

I worked in every joint you can name, yessuh, every honkytonk

Along come Mister Yankee Slicker, sayin' maybe you what I want

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

 

Ohhh ... nine thousand dollars, that's all we could win

But we smiled at the Yankee Slicker with a big ol' Southern grin

They're gonna take me out to California, gonna make me a superstar

Just pay me all my money and maybe you won't get a scar

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

 

Ohhh ... slickers steal my money, since I was seventeen

If it ain't no pencil pusher, then it got to be a honkytonk queen

But I'll sign my contract, baby, and I want you people to know

Every penny that I make, I want to see where my money goes

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

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Sex Pistols "E.M.I."

 

Lynyrd Skynyrd "Workin' for MCA"

 

Ohhh ... seven years of hard luck, comin' down on me

From the Florida border, yes, up to Nashville Tennessee

I worked in every joint you can name, yessuh, every honkytonk

Along come Mister Yankee Slicker, sayin' maybe you what I want

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

 

Ohhh ... nine thousand dollars, that's all we could win

But we smiled at the Yankee Slicker with a big ol' Southern grin

They're gonna take me out to California, gonna make me a superstar

Just pay me all my money and maybe you won't get a scar

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

 

Ohhh ... slickers steal my money, since I was seventeen

If it ain't no pencil pusher, then it got to be a honkytonk queen

But I'll sign my contract, baby, and I want you people to know

Every penny that I make, I want to see where my money goes

 

Want you to sign your contract

Want you to sign today

Gonna give you lots of money

Workin' for MCA

That was the first one that came to mind for me. Schweeeeeeet.

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...Is everyone just taking "Company in My Back" as a given?

I haven't looked at Company In My Back that way at all. It sounds more like Tweedy's unpleasant states while he was taking drugs.

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