Back in the 1970s, there was a whole sub-genre of rock music dedicated to speaking for the common people. Lyrics about their life, work, and play. That seemed to fade as the '80s came along and pop music became more focused on image and slickness.
But the regular people are still out there, and they still want to be heard. I am not the biggest fan of Bob Seger, but I have always liked "Feel Like a Number." It always struck me as a demand to be heard, regardless of your status or station. Think of these lyrics next time you read about how racist and xenophobic people are who voted for Brexit.
I take my card and I stand in line
To make a buck I work overtime
Dear Sir letters keep coming in the mail
I work my back till it's racked with pain
The boss can't even recall my name
I show up late and I'm docked
It never fails
I feel like just another
Spoke in a great big wheel
Like a tiny blade of grass
In a great big field, whoa
To workers I'm just another drone
To Ma Bell I'm just another phone
I'm just another statistic on a sheet
To teachers I'm just another child
To IRS I'm just another file
I'm just another consensus on the street
Gonna cruise out of this city
Head down to the sea
Gonna shout out at the ocean
Hey it's me
And I feel like a number
Feel like a number
Feel like a stranger
A stranger in this land
I feel like a number
I'm not a number
I'm not a number
Damn it, I'm a man
