How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?

"How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?" is an American folk song originally recorded on December 4, 1929 in New York City, by Blind Alfred Reed. The song tells of hard times during the Great Depression. It is considered an early example of a protest song.

:"There was once a time when everything was cheap.:"But now prices nearly put a man to sleep.:"When we pay our grocery bill,:"we just feel like making our will.:"Tell me how can a poor man stand such times and live? ::: -First verse from original version by Blind Alfred Reed

Other versions

* Sung by Ry Cooder on his 1970 self-titled album, "Ry Cooder". This version reorders the verses compared with Reed's version and is a very different arrangement; however, all of the lyrics come from the original version recorded by Reed.
* Sung by Bruce Springsteen on his 2006 Sessions Band Tour, and then recorded and included on his October 2006 "" album reissue. The Springsteen version only shares the lyrics of one of Reed's original verses, and owes more to Cooder's version musically than it does to the original. The rest of the verses were written by Springsteen about Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina.

External links

* [http://www.archive.org/details/Reed Song history at 78 RPMs]
* [http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/howcan.html Original Lyrics ]
* [http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics/h/howcanapoormanstandsuchtimesandlive.php Bruce Springsteen version ]