Ik luister graag naar de muziek van de Engelse singer/songwriter George Michael (1963-2016) en dan vooral naar zijn album Older en het unplugged concert bij MTV, beide uit 1996. Onlangs vond ik zowaar een repetitie-opname uit dat concert van zijn minder bekende lied Hand To Mouth, met weer die heerlijke wisselwerking met de achtergrondvocalisten.

Het nummer komt van zijn album Faith uit 1987 en is waarschijnlijk zijn meest politieke lied, met maatschappelijke kritiek op de politiek van Thatcher & Reagan in de jaren 80. “The song unfolds through vivid character sketches of people grappling with poverty, violence, and desperation. A vigilante man and a woman turning to prostitution serve as metaphors for systemic failures in capitalist societies. The song’s title refers to the condition of living paycheck to paycheck—surviving with no economic security. The song’s themes of economic struggle, social inequality, and the disillusionment of the marginalized remain acutely relevant decades after its release, contributing to its enduring resonance. Analyses of the song published in the 21st century often connect its lyrical content to contemporary issues of poverty and systemic injustice, demonstrating its timelessness as a social critique.”

Hand To Mouth
Jimmy Got Nothing
made himself a name.
With a gun that he polished
for a rainy day.
A smile and a quote
from a vigilante movie.,
Our boy Jimmy
just blew them all away.

He said it made him crazy.
25 years living hand to mouth.
Hand to mouth,
hand to mouth,
hand to mouth.

Sweet little baby
on a big white doorstep.
She needs her mother,
but her mother is dead.
Just another hooker
that the lucky can forget.
Just another hooker.
It happens everyday.

She loved her little baby.
But she couldn’t bear
to see her living hand to mouth.
Hand to mouth,
hand to mouth,
hand to mouth.

I believe in the gods of America.
I believe in the land of the free.
But no one told me,
that the gods believe in nothing.
So with empty hands I pray,
and I tell myself one day.
They just might see me.

Everybody talks
about the new generation.
Jump on the wagon
or they’ll leave you behind.
But no one gave a thought
to the rest of the nation.
“Like to help you buddy.
I haven’t got the time.”

Somebody shouted “save me”.
Everybody started
living hand to mouth.
Hand to mouth,
hand to mouth,
hand to mouth.

There’s a big white lady
on a big white doorstep.
She asked her daddy
and her daddy said “yes”.
Has to give a little
for the dollars that we get.
Has to give a little.
They say it’s for the best.

Somebody shouted “maybe”.
But they kept on living
from hand to mouth.
Hand to mouth,
hand to mouth,
hand to mouth.

So she ran to the arms of America,
and she kissed the powers that be.
And someone told me
that the gods believe in nothing.
So with empty hands I pray,
and I tell myself one day.
They just might see me.
They just might see me.