Recession 1 - Key Notes 0

You may have noticed that there appears to be something of a global economic crisis going on.  This week it became a bit more personalised as Key Notes was made redundant late on Friday afternoon.  Now, this blog can't say he was totally surprised, working in the financial services industry, how could he be?  It's a strange feeling, knowing you've done absolutely nothing wrong but still losing your job.  Very 1980's really. 

The irony of the whole situation is that Key Notes initial reaction to the so-called 'credit crunch' was to celebrate.  After all, capitalism has, time and again, shown that it is a very unforgiving socio-economic model and its apparent demise as the dominant world model should be welcomed.  So is Key Notes a victim of its existance or a victim of its demise?  It's far too early on a Saturday morning to consider that but this blogs gut feeling is that it's a result of the former. 

So, what's the point of this blog you may well ask?  Well, thinking about it last night, there aren't very many good songs about unemployment or recession are there?  Okay, maybe you could count Money for Nothing as the unofficial anthem of the Social Welfare system but that would be giving Dire Straits far more credit than they ever deserve.  Likewise, Bachman Turner Overdrive poked fun at 9-6-slave-to-the-wage types with Taking Care of Business.  Again though, a song about basking in unemployment isn't really something to promote.

One song that does take the idea of unemployment and deal with it in a way that Key Notes can appreciate is Paperback Writer.  The Beatles (or, more likely, Paul McCartney) wrote this song at a time when they were being criticised for only writing songs about boy/girl relationships.  The lyrics are essentially about a writer with serious artistic ambitions but who resorts to writing Paperback novels just to make some money.  The point being, the subject of the song can see an opportunity, regardless of how 'beneath him' it may be, where many others would see a crisis.

The point being that Key Notes now finds himself at a crossroads and anything goes from here on in his life.  It's not the wrost thing that ever happened to him, it's not even the worse thing that's happened to him this year but it could be his opportunity to make some changes; be it career direction, upskilling, travelling, etc.  It'll also give him a chance to listen to lots of new music and think up new and wonderful topics for this blog, none of which will be as self-centred as today's entry.  This one time, however, Key Notes would ask that you forgive the indulgence. 

Here's the video for Paperback Writer/Rain for your enjoyment:

[Read More...]