The Dead Company Club

Singing the laid-off blues? Music is a good, low-deductible alternative to pharmaceutical fixes. There aren’t many songs about the working world, but there are a few that can give some perspective and hasten your emotional recovery. Here are some to add to your collection.

“Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”
(Monty Python’s Life of Brian, 1979)

Monty Python movies have never shied away from pain, torture, imminent death or, well, death itself. Yet “The Life of Brian” is absolutely perfect if you’re laid off because it helps put your situation in perspective.

Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad,
Other things just make you swear and curse,
When you’re chewing life’s gristle,
Don’t grumble,
Give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best.
And…Always look on the bright side of life.
[whistle]
Always look on the right side of life,
[whistle]

“Get Over It”
(Eagles, from the CD “Hell Freezes Over,” 1994)

A favorite saying in my family is, “You need some sympathy? It’s in the dictionary between “shit” and “syphilis.” Likewise, this song is a pity-party crasher. See if you can listen to it and not feel a little sheepish.

Get over it
Get over it
All this whinin’ and cryin’ and pitchin’ a fit
Get over it, get over it.

“Gimme Some Money”
(Spinal Tap, “This is Spinal Tap,” 1984)

“This is Spinal Tap” is a cult classic film that has a soundtrack unlike any other. “Gimme Some Money” is a prescient tune written for anyone who has been out of work for a while and is looking for a new source of income.

Stop wasting my time
You know what I want
You know what I need
Or maybe you don’t
Do I have to come right
Flat out and tell you everything?
Gimme some money
Gimme some money

It’s the End of the World as We Know It”
(REM, from the CD “Document,” 1998)

An obvious choice. The lyrics are mostly gibberish, but all you need to know is the refrain:

It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it.
It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

So put away those sad tunes, pucker up your lips and start to sing, “Always look on the bright side of life…”

How do you cope with lay-off depression? What songs work for you?

Laurie Phillips will never make a living as a singer. She writes for businesses instead. If you haven’t followed enough links already, see more about her at Sundance Research.

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