As we cruise into 2008, nearly every media outlet is offering a list — sometimes lots of lists — of the best and worst that the past year brought us.
The very first thing that 2007 brought, at least on CMT, was the New Year’s Day debut of Tim McGraw’s video, “Last Dollar (Fly Away).” The song’s genesis actually dates back five years to New Year’s Eve 2002, and since the change of the calendar is generally a time of reflection and taking stock, the history of “Last Dollar” is particularly worth revisiting.
Big Kenny Alphin, of Big & Rich, wrote it. As the story goes, he was in debt way over his ears, thanks to a solo recording career that hadn’t had the commercial success he’d anticipated. He was $140,000 in debt and had all of $200 in his pockets when he hit the blackjack tables in Las Vegas, hoping for some luck. He got it, but in a less-than-obvious manner. Big Kenny lost nearly all of his money, left the dealer a $20 tip and ended up with just one George Washington in his wallet.
Where’s the luck? Well, if nothing else, Big Kenny is an optimist. With that single dollar to his name, he laughed in the face of financial danger, saw his situation as one of freedom from possession and penned a reminder that when things are down-in-the-depths bad, they can only get better. It’s a perspective that’s been written about before by everyone from Bob Dylan (“Like a Rolling Stone”), John Lennon (“Imagine”) and the Atlanta Rhythm Section’s J.R. Cobb (author of Wynonna’s “Rock Bottom”).
For Big Kenny, that viewpoint has played out quite well. Big & Rich, with its unconventional blending of hard rock, funk, rap and mainstream country, became an unlikely success. He’s reaped some nice financial rewards in the process and shown an admirable sense of responsibility by giving back some of those earnings through his efforts in Darfur.
Ultimately, as you evaluate 2007 and peer into 2008, the lessons of “Last Dollar (Fly Away)” are excellent things to keep in mind. No matter what the last year brought, the next one could be entirely different. Whether your last 12 months were a huge success, a total disaster or something in between, tomorrow is indeed another day.
Wired magazine recently had a story about product placement in songs. It talks about how it’s kept on the down-low when a brand approaches an artist or a songwriter with an idea. About how the music business has changed so much that bands and singers are essentially just singing advertisements. And getting paid for it. As was the case when Double Happiness Jeans had the nerve to approach the Pussycat Dolls about finding a way to fit their jeans into some lyrics.
(from an e-mail sent from Sudan)
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