Early Retirement Extreme Forums

"Powertrip" by Monster Magnet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE7Zv6d-HUA

I'm never going to work another day in my life
The gods told me to relax
They said I'm gonna be fixed up right

"I want out" by Helloween
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjV8SHjHvHk (the original)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2gq_osegrg (IMO a better cover by Sonata Arctica)

From our lives' beginning on
We are pushed in little forms
No-one asks us how we'd like to be
In school they teach us what to think
But everyone says different things
But they're all convinced that
They're the ones to see

So they keep talking and they never stop
At a certain point you give it up
So the only thing that's left to think is this

I want out
To live my life alone
I want out
Leave me be
I want out
To do things on my own
I want out
To live my life and to be free

This song is mostly about conserving water. My favorite lines is "Most of what we do is offensive or illegal."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykQ4F-z0U1I

I hadn't realized there was a song-sharing thread. Excellent! I've shared this elsewhere, but I've been obsessed with this song the past week or so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y97gX9QSwZk (the video is pretty great as well).

"Now the answers in our heads
To the questions that were asked
It boils up from underground
And leads us to the past
To a place that's long forgotten
When we had enough for all
How long until there's nothing left at all?"

This is my kind of thread. I've found some interesting stuff. I loved the Billy Strings and have been listening to him a lot over the past few weeks. The Tom Leher was pretty great - especially coming from Ego.

Here are a few more. I suggest adding artist/song title because some of the older links aren't working anymore.

Tower of Power - Only So Much Oil in the Ground

Perfect for an ERE dance party, or any dance party for that matter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrxRJ9HlfZk

William Elliot Whitmore - A Lifetime Underground

This is more about the story and video than the song, but I love me some WEW:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHfDNucBpgo

For any hip hop heads out there, here are a couple for you:

Mos Def - New World Water

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxvQKZPb6Wo

Saul Williams - Penny for a Thought

This guy is pretty heavy but I thought this might fit with an ERE mindset. Give it a couple minutes:

"My people, let pharaoh go. What have you bought into? How much will it cost to buy you out. What have you bought into? How much will it cost to buy you out? ... Time is money, money is time, so I keep 7 o'clock in the bank and gain interest in the hour of God. I'm saving to buy my freedom. God grant me wings, I'm too fly not to fly..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4XC6dyBWi4

I was listening to some of my old punk albums. Lots of critiques of consumerism and conformity in early punk rock. Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but here are a few that relate to ERE:

Bad Religion - Against the Grain

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8HZFpaAT7w

Bad Religion - Modern Man

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9C3a5lLPeQ

Heathy Body - Operation Ivy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeea43Q2Wss

Expensive vitamin pills and wheat germ on your windowsill
Your schedule's hectic and you've got no time to kill
Earning money and you're spending it the right way
Just in such a rush that you don't know if it's night or day

5: 30 get up, run run run
Then you work eight hours
Slaving under the gun
Little world is based on lies lies lies
Always rushing but you're never ever satisfied

Healthy body sick mind
You're working overtime
Healthy body sick mind
Too hectic, too hectic
Healthy body sick mind
"Why don't you just unwind?"
It's just a matter of time
Sick body sick mind!

The money you spend on running shoes could feed me for a week
Your plans are laid so well that you can't even sleep
Pursuit of happiness got you life locked up under Marshall law
You got everything to lose so you're paranoid about some fatal flaw

5: 30 get up, run run run
Then you work eight hours
Slaving underneath the gun
Little world is based on lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies
Ooooooooooooooooooooh!

Always rushing but you're never ever satisfied
Healthy body sick mind
You're working overtime
Healthy body sick mind
Too hectic, too hectic
Healthy body sick mind
Why don't you just unwind?
It's just a matter of time
Sick body sick mind!

Bad Religion - We're Only Gonna Die

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gYYZw3iYH8

Or if you prefer a punk/reggae hybrid cover from Sublime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cXVDhlGQGA

Early man walked away as modern man took control.
Their minds weren't all the same
To conquer was his goal
So he built his great empire
And HE slaughtered his own kind
Then he died a confused man
Killed himself with his own mind.

Go!

Early man walked away as modern man took control.
Their minds weren't all the same
To conquer was his goal
So he built his great empire
And HE slaughtered his own kind
Then he died a confused man
Killed himself with his own mind.

Go!

Early man walked away as modern man took control.
Their minds weren't all the same
To conquer was his goal
So he built his great empire
And HE slaughtered his own kind
Then he died a confused man
Killed himself with his own mind.

Go!

We're only gonna die
(We're only gonna die)
From our own arrogance.
We're only gonna die
(We're only gonna die)
From our own arrogance.
We're only gonna die
(We're only gonna die)
From our own arrogance.
We're only gonna die
(We're only gonna die)
From our own arrogance.

This was the first John Prine song I heard. It's one of my favorite songs to play around the campfire.

John Prine - Paradise:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-SKCWXoryU

I stumbled across Dan Reeder this morning. Thought some of the ERE folks might like this one (NSFW):

Work Song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOeRanSf3cg

Canadian singer-song writter Bahamas newest song : Up With the Jones.
Currently #8 on the CBC weekly top 20 songs, for non-Canadians this is our national radio station.

I started out
I had no plan
I took a job and soon was working for the man
And now it seems
Through modern dreams
And all I've done is learn to live beyond my means

Yes we had the house
And we have the car
And paid for it all
On some credit card
Now that ain't right

[Verse 2]
My second home
Your student loan
And every year I got myself a brand new phone
Can't do without
Don't have the nerve
I tell myself that these are things that I deserve

Yes I can't make do
With just half my chеque
I need all those things
And so I live in debt
And that ain't right

No no no no

[Chorus]
Everything that I thought I knew
Everything I was told was true
I was living a lie and I never asked why
And now I don't know what to do

I guess I can't keep up
I guess I can't keep up with the Jones

[Verse 3]
I can't slow down
I've lost control
I double down and tell myself I'm on a roll
It's not my fault
It's not like me
I never saw myself as someone who ain't free

Now I'm wondering
Has it gone too far
Should I pick up the cheque from this hotel bar
Now that ain't right

[Chorus]
Everything that I thought I knew
Everything I was told was true
I was living a lie and I never asked why
Now I don't know what to do

I guess I can't keep up
I guess I can't keep up with the Jones

[Bridge]
I was living like the money was king
I let it have the power on me
Now I recognize the funniest thing
Is now I'm broken now I'm finally free

[Verse 4]
We all know life
Don't go as planned
So now I'm buying all my records second hand
It's brought me these
I've come to see
That all my greatest joys in life are always free

I still have my house
But I've sold my car
And it felt so damn good
To cut up those credit cards
Yeah that felt right

[Chorus]
Everything that I thought I knew
Everything I was told was true
I was living a lie and I never asked why
Now I don't know what to do

I guess I can't keep up
I guess I can't keep up with the Jones