“A Poor Man’s Song”
Song by Ray Charles
Like a younger brother to his previous Stevie Wonder cover “Living For The City”, Ray Charles’s blistering and funky take on “A Poor Man’s Song” from his 1980 LP Brother Ray Is At It Again commands attention. It’s a dual attack, the unavoidable music and the enraged social commentary of the lyrics getting up in your face until you can no longer ignore it.
Ray adopts the persona of the titular poor man, relaying his desperation over buying clothes for his kids and the possibility of getting thrown out of his living quarters. Through clenched-teeth verses and wild, abandoned choruses, Ray’s litany of economic woes gets aired for all to hear. If you didn’t know before, you know now.
The vocals are double-tracked on “A Poor Man’s Song” which lends them an even meatier and more robust air than a lone Ray voice could’ve summoned. The horns make the track cook even more. “A Poor Man’s Song” should have been released as a single, but sadly wasn’t.
Listen to “A Poor Man’s Song”
Songs on Brother Ray Is At It Again