Comments on: Songs about Consumerism?

Question: Songs about Consumerism?

Kwine — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:07:19 -0800

What are some good songs about consumerism?

As a pre-teen, I was very much into Billy Joel, particularly his 1993 album River of Dreams. The song "No Mans Land" from that album, whatever one thinks of its artistic merits, inspired my first critical thoughts about the skewed, wasteful, buy-buy-buy corporate-centric nature of my society.

When it popped up on my random playlist today, it occurred to me that I couldn't think of too many other songs that so clearly, blisteringly excoriate the American (Western?) culture of consumption. I'm sure that they're out there. Who can name some, especially songs that particularly influenced your thinking on the issue? Bonus points, of course, if the songs are musically noteworthy as well.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:09:01 -0800

Pick up the entire Dead Kennedys catalog. The move on to Crass.

By: DieHipsterDie

DieHipsterDie — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:09:28 -0800

"Then" move onto...

By: jrossi4r

jrossi4r — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:12:49 -0800

The current issue of the Onion lists 12 Songs About Shopping.

By: padraigin

padraigin — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:18:24 -0800

"Nothing But Flowers" by the Talking Heads.

By: Listener

Listener — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:21:00 -0800

"Buy, buy, buy," The Slits -- I no longer have the vinyl and can't confirm this via google, though.

"Little boxes" and I don't know who recorded it but here's a link to the lyric and the songwriter's name

The entire Dead Kennedy's catalogue? Really? I can't think of a specific song, though, off the top of my head. Maybe Winnebago Warrior, but that's about consuming nature, which may well fit the question.

By: scody

scody — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:21:02 -0800

Off the top of my head:

"Merchandise" - Fugazi
"Lost in the Supermarket" - The Clash
"In the Crowd" - The Jam
"Empire of the Senseless" - Mekons
"Dedicated Follower of Fashion" - The Kinks
"Money-Go-Round" - The Style Council

By: Razzle Bathbone

Razzle Bathbone — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:21:14 -0800

Pretty much anything by Gang of Four

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:21:59 -0800

Christmas at KMart by Root Boy Slim; super catchy. Can't seem to find the lyrics online.

By: cerebus19

cerebus19 — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:22:23 -0800

I feel I must mention Tom Lehrer's A Christmas Carol, which, as the name suggests, is a Christmas song that's mostly about buying things.

By: scody

scody — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:22:43 -0800

oh, and "The Busy Girl Buys Beauty" by Billy Bragg and "Shopping" (the Jam, again).

By: Listener

Listener — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:22:57 -0800

Well, okay, maybe here's the link. This is my first time posting here. http://ingeb.org/songs/littlebo.html

By: Phire

Phire — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:25:56 -0800

I'm not quite sure it fits your bill of "good songs about consumerism" but Ka-Ching by Shania Twain at least matches the subject matter.

By: cerebus19

cerebus19 — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:26:49 -0800

There's always Madonna's Material Girl, too.

By: em

em — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:31:34 -0800

Dar Williams has a song called Bought and Sold -- it's not exactly about excessive consumption, but it does have a verse attacking Wal-Mart and another one praising people who don't like to buy things.

By: davebush

davebush — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:36:26 -0800

The title track from Tonio K's "Life in the Foodchain"

Great album.

By: randomination

randomination — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:37:09 -0800

Hard-Fi - Cash Machine
Radiohead - Palo Alto

By: hot soup girl

hot soup girl — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:37:55 -0800

Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money), by the Pet Shop Boys.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:41:45 -0800

Chocolate Cake by Crowded House.

By: Robot Rowboat

Robot Rowboat — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:42:36 -0800

You are the Generation the Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve - Johnny Boy.

Here's the video.

By: Robot Rowboat

Robot Rowboat — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:43:26 -0800

You are the Generation that bought...

Bum.

By: The Radish

The Radish — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:47:26 -0800

Age of Greed by Killing Joke.

By: solid-one-love

solid-one-love — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:48:28 -0800

"Down in the Mall" by Warren Zevon

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:50:41 -0800

Goodness Gracious by Kevin Gilbert. I was kinda thrilled to see Gilbert on iTunes, really.

By: Schlimmbesserung

Schlimmbesserung — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:51:07 -0800

"Shopping" by the Barenaked Ladies

By: airguitar

airguitar — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:52:47 -0800

http://www.smugglersite.com/03/directors/music/adamfreeland_happy.html

By: meehawl

meehawl — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:55:29 -0800

I'm *amazed* that nobody's mentioned Poly Styrene/X-Ray Spex's Conscious Consumer album is classic. Junk Food Junkie is a lot of fun. You could also that The Day The World Turned Day Glo is about the age of plastics.

By: unknowncommand

unknowncommand — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 15:56:29 -0800

The album Dispepsi by Negativland

By: meehawl

meehawl — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:00:15 -0800

Ohh, the tubes have Identity as well.

By: MetaMonkey

MetaMonkey — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:04:33 -0800

Fake Plastic Trees - Radiohead

By: Violet Hour

Violet Hour — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:07:09 -0800

Everything Must Go by Steely Dan. Kind of. Several tracks on it, anyway.

By: MetaMonkey

MetaMonkey — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:18:33 -0800

Freedom of Choice - Devo

In fact quite a lot of Devo has an anti-consumerist undertone. And Devo rule. Turnaround also springs to mind.

Quite a lot of Nirvana also - particulalry Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle.

Although these suggestions are not so much explicitly excoriating, they have bucket loads of implicit excoriation.

By: dmd

dmd — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:20:26 -0800

Bought and Sold is a good Dar Williams song, as mentioned above; there's also a horrid Dar Williams song "Play the Greed" which will never see the light of day.

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:23:47 -0800

Mm. Devo's "Freedom of Choice" is excellent.

Bad Religion's "21st Century Digital Boy" references consumer culture, though it doesn't necessarily focus on it.

Green Day's latest album also has quite a few dystopian consumer hell kind of references.

By: unknowncommand

unknowncommand — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:27:01 -0800

"We Like Having These Things" by Numbers.

By: weapons-grade pandemonium

weapons-grade pandemonium — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:29:35 -0800

If I Had a Million Dollars.

By: Succa

Succa — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:32:08 -0800

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised!

By: clord

clord — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:33:00 -0800

Chic 'n' Stu by System of a Down is about how advertising creates desire to buy.

Every minute, every second,
Buy, buy, buy, buy, buy.

Need therapy, therapy
Advertising causes need

I have a few other consumerist (or anti-consumerist, as the case may be) songs in my collection, but Spotlight is failing me.

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:39:34 -0800

"Customer" by the Replacements
Others have mentioned Gang of Four and the Dead Kennedys my favorites by those two are "Natural's not in it" and "My Payola"

By: martinX's bellbottoms

martinX's bellbottoms — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:41:55 -0800

I can't believe I forgot "Anti-Matter" by the Aquabats!

By: scalefree

scalefree — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 16:48:18 -0800

If you're looking for anti-consumerism, there's no better place than Reverend Billy & the Church of Stop Shopping. Their act is a mix of preaching by the Rev. & songs by the choir. I caught them the year they came to Burning Man, 2003.

Also I'm surprised nobody's mentioned They Paved Paradise & Put Up a Parking Lot by Joni Mitchell yet.

By: dirtynumbangelboy

dirtynumbangelboy — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:01:14 -0800

weapons-grade pandemonium writes "If I Had a Million Dollars."

Which is by the Barenaked Ladies, for those who haven't heard of the song.

I'd also suggest Rivervalley, by Moxy Fruvous. It's not exactly about buy-buy-buy, but the results of that mentality.

By: oaf

oaf — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:02:49 -0800

"21st Century Living" by the Matthew Good Band.

By: bukvich

bukvich — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:04:44 -0800

The Joni Mitchell song is called "Big Yellow Taxi".

By: spacelux

spacelux — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:10:07 -0800

Here's the song and an animation for Big Yellow Taxi

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:16:27 -0800

'Life's Been Good' by Joe Walsh

By: crazycanuck

crazycanuck — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:18:01 -0800

This Will Make You Happy by Furnaceface. Another somewhat related track on that album is If You Love Her, Buy Her a Gun.

By: mosk

mosk — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:20:49 -0800

"Mercedes Benz" by Janis Joplin?

By: forallmankind

forallmankind — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:34:19 -0800

For The Love Of Money by The O'Jays, probably best known as the theme tune for The Apprentice. Funnily enough, the song is not pro-cash at all...:

"For the love of money people will steal from their mother,
For the love of money people will rob their own brothers,
For the love of money people can't even walk the streets...".

By: sarahsynonymous

sarahsynonymous — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:36:13 -0800

It looks like Listener may have had some HTML troubles - "Little Boxes" is by Malvina Reynolds, and is currently used to excellent effect in the opening credits of Weeds.

By: Xurando

Xurando — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:39:00 -0800

So far down the list, but for me the ultimate song about consumerism, Dire Straits: Money for nothing.

By: jbickers

jbickers — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:40:00 -0800

"We can't make it here" by James McMurtry (link goes to a free download, from the label). A scathing tune.

By: thinman

thinman — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:48:04 -0800

"Step Right Up" by Tom Waits

By: number9dream

number9dream — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 17:48:39 -0800

Between Angels and Insects, by Papa Roach.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:05:53 -0800

"Lost in the Supermarket" is by The Jam, not The Clash.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:16:19 -0800

"Lost in the Supermarket is by the Clash - track 8 on London Calling. See here, for example.

By: Subcommandante Cheese

Subcommandante Cheese — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:20:25 -0800

Much of the album "Fortune" by the Mendoza Line touches on this theme. I highly recommend the songs "Fellow Travellers," "Before I Hit the Wall," and "An Architect's Eye" off it.

"The Mess Inside" and "Riches and Wonders" by the Mountain Goats

that's all I got for now

By: MsMolly

MsMolly — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:34:18 -0800

Mark Knopfler recent song Boom Like That is about Ray Kroc and the start of McDonald's.

By: meehawl

meehawl — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:35:10 -0800

The Clash's ="http://www.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border="0" />Lost In The Supermarket
Ben Folds' ="http://www.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border="0" />Lost In The Supermarket
The Afghan Whigs' ="http://www.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border="0" />Lost In The Supermarket

By: meehawl

meehawl — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:36:11 -0800

Preview sucks.

By: jvilter

jvilter — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:51:00 -0800

The ebay song by Weird Al.

By: arto

arto — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 18:53:28 -0800

Genesis - "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging"
Simon & Garfunkel - "The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine"
Furnaceface - "Just Buy It"
Corb Lund - The Counterfeiter's Blues

By: Araucaria

Araucaria — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:13:24 -0800

"Oh Lord, won't you buy me, a Mercedes Benz", by Janis Joplin.

I can't believe I'm the first one to post that!

By: Araucaria

Araucaria — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:14:07 -0800

Shoot, mosk got there first.

By: lannanh

lannanh — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:19:09 -0800

This Note's for You by Neil Young

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:25:07 -0800

"We can't make it here" by James McMurtry

Duration 7.09 -- Heh. I love Austin.

By: djb

djb — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:32:02 -0800

The Restless Consumer by Neil Young

By: rfs

rfs — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:43:35 -0800

It's Money That Matters - Randy Newman (from Land Of Dreams)

By: Kwine

Kwine — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 19:52:14 -0800

Thanks for the responses! There's a lot to chew on here over the next few weeks. This isn't really the sort of thing where a best answer tag is appropriate, I don't think, but I've marked robot rowboat as such b/c the Johnny Boy singer is a gorgeous creature. I'm off to bed; with any luck she'll appear in my dreams.

By: frogan

frogan — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:35:16 -0800

Father Christmas, by the Kinks

By: The Deej

The Deej — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 20:35:51 -0800

Gimmee by Alice Cooper

By: tumble

tumble — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:04:03 -0800

Shelter's album "Mantra" is pretty much entirely about the failings of modern culture. Shelter was part of a punk movement called Krishnacore. It's a good album. In particular a song called "Civilized Man" covers subsidized farming, western medicine and TV propaganda. The lyrics are pretty heavy.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:18:00 -0800

"Home Sweet Home" and "The Style I Need" by Bobby Conn
"Shopping Bags" by De La Soul

By: wsg

wsg — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:30:42 -0800

As thinman said, Step Right Up is most appropriate.

By: matkline

matkline — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:40:23 -0800

Ben Folds' Jesusland

By: bonobo

bonobo — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 21:58:55 -0800

From Talking Heads' True Stories, you might be interested in:

"Love for Sale"
"Puzzling Evidence"
"Hey Now"

By: bryanzera

bryanzera — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 22:58:33 -0800

Ben Folds' "All You Can Eat"

By: cottoncandyhammer

cottoncandyhammer — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 02:48:33 -0800

va - Hollertronix #4 [Turntable Lab Money Studies] / A1 - Buy It, Use It ; it's a Diplo/Low Budget hipster burner...

By: cottoncandyhammer

cottoncandyhammer — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 02:54:48 -0800

Universal Robot Band - Barely Breaking Even
---
Dan Boadi and the African Internationals - Money Is The Root of Evil
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Jimmy Spicer - Money (Dollar Bill Y'all)
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Gang of Four - Entertainment! LP
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Brian Brain - At Home He Feels Like A Tourist (Gang of Four cover by ex-PiL drummer), off of the Culture 12"
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anything by Crass or The Ex

By: alizarin

alizarin — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 08:23:17 -0800

"Go To The Bank" by James - Good one!

By: matildaben

matildaben — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 11:57:42 -0800

This might be a stretch - When I Win the Lottery by Camper Van Beethoven.

By: Adelwolf

Adelwolf — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:45:34 -0800

Rasputina - Diamond Mind

By: scody

scody — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 14:16:51 -0800

"Lost in the Supermarket" is by The Jam, not The Clash.

Sorry, but it most certainly is not. The Jam's song about being lost in the supermarket is "In the Crowd," from All Mod Cons, which came out in 1978, the year before the Clash did "Lost in the Supermarket" on London Calling.

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 14:57:26 -0800

Guadalcanal Diary, "Always Saturday":

In the shops are shiny things
I can see them glittering
I wish that I could buy them all
I wish I lived in a shopping mall.