Introduction by Country Carl

Many say we are in a Recession but I strongly disagree. The economy for me is a New Depression. Currently I'm unemployed living on the dole with no end in sight except for a final check. So I feel we need to stick together and have our voices heard. I'm reinforcing our message in song so the truth won't be forgotten. The song is called the New Depression Blues.

The story of the New Depression Blues began when I was searching for a job and realized that things had seriously changed for the worse. The help wanted classified ads are one page instead of eight. The tent cities are sprouting up around the country like mushrooms on a cow field. The 401 K plans are fast becoming pocket change. House prices are in the gutter. But the real tell is the fear in the eyes of so many as the doomsday scenarios play out in the media.

More info at the “Unemployment-Gone-Mad.com”

So together my fiends PR, Beau Robinson and I penned this latest version of the protest song. Early in Jan 09 we recorded it and then followed up with a video. The meaning for me is personal and I need your support to get and keep the message in the spotlight. This will be a long haul struggle and the pain will hurt and change so many lives forever. God Bless You ...... I'm Country Carl

New Depression Blues Biography by Pat Robinson....Edited by Beau Robinson and Country Carl

In 1971, Seattle was in trouble. A billboard on the outskirts of the city core said, "Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights?" Pat Robinson and Country Carl (Carl Larson) took that message as a warning and a call to action. So they wrote the original version of New Depression Blues. That song, a purely acoustic effort was copyrighted and shelved. Then 1982 came along. The economy was in trouble again. They got the bright idea to approach Pat's father, newspaper publisher Jerry Robinson with the idea to produce and promote the song. Now with group investor funding the boys made a trek to the Music Source recording studio in Seattle and with the help of singer, engineer, guitarist and producer Dave Raynor recorded the song and mastered it to a vinyl 45

With the New Depression Blues on the A-side, the trio picked another Larson/Robinson original called Riding the Ridge for the B-side. They formed their own music publishing label (Nickel Records) and went out to promote the song. With Beau Robinson on vocals a diligent effort resulted in numerous television and radio interviews as well as coverage in print. But the record got limited airplay despite a several rounds of promotional spots on local radio

Fast Forward to 2009 and after a few weeks of increasingly depressing news about the economy,the trio decided they should re-write the tune and have Country Carl on vocals. The new lyrics have a true Blues Feel for the new economic downturn. In addition to including the 'protest song' feel of the original, the three authors included a direct request for President Obama, with the offer that, if he succeeds in turning this New Depression around, that 'we'll vote you back in Oh-One-Two'.

Final Words from Country Carl " My hat goes off to newspaper publisher Jerry Robinson for launching the song in 1982"

To contact Country Carl....CountryCarl@live.com

Here are the lyrics to NEW DEPRESSION BLUES:

My jeans are wearin thin
My pockets wearin through
I aint had a paycheck
Since they’ve closed the factory too

I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932

The unemployment office,
they pay my salary
but when my checks stopped coming
You know I just can’t live for free
I got the new..I got the New Depression Blues
and things aint been this bad here.since 1932

(Instr.)

Now they bailed out the big banks
And motor city too
They foreclosed on my house
and my trailer rent is overdue
I don’t know how they figure
That a man’s supposed to live
When they’ve taken just bout everything
He could ever give
I got the new.I got the new depression blues
and things aint been this bad heresince 1932

So lets ask President Obama
have some mercy on us too
get this country back in shape
we’ll vote you back in Oh One Two

I got the new..I got the new depression blues
And things aint been this bad here since 1932.

Copyright © 2009 Robinson, Larson, Robinson

More info at the “NewDepressionBlues.com”