Song #83: John Conlee - "Common Man"

Song #83: John Conlee - "Common Man" (1982)

Busted

"I'm just a common man, drive a common van, my dog ain't got a pedigree. If I had my say, gonna stay that way, those highbrow people lose their sanity, and a common man is what I'll be."

 If there is one song that I feel epitomizes the American middle class and still hasn't gotten its proper dues (to employ a wonderfully middle class term), it's John Conlee's "Common Man," which is an ode to regular folk. The song concerns its narrator, who proudly proclaims himself to be an everyday working man who enjoys taking his dates to McDonald's, chugging "a lug or mug" of Budweiser beer, and embraces a life of simplicity and earnestness that allows him to be content with his simplicity.

I choose this song because, if you haven't noticed by now, I thoroughly enjoy songs that make a good effort to relate themselves to the struggles and joys of being a regular guy. From Steve Azar's "I Don't Have to Be Me ('Til Monday") to Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Lookin' Out My Back Door," these songs strike a literal and figurative chord in my mind as ballads that truly infuse and showcase how middle class life is in America. Contrary to what many likely believe about America, being "middle class" or "working class" doesn't mean you're wealthy and barely have to work, but you have to work to ensure that you can eat and work sometimes over forty hours a week in order to maintain that life.

"Common Man" shows that through a wonderfully breezy melody and through Conlee's easy-listening tone. In the grand scheme of country music, Conlee never achieved the extreme success of his peers, but just with "Common Man," he created a tune that presents incredibly relatable and close-to-home vibes for his listeners who may feel the song is about them themselves.

Give "Common Man" a listen, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woWzNRIBEcI