“The Eighties – The Reagan Years” – This section of the Songbook primarily focuses on domestic issues in the United States during the late 1970s and 1980s. Foreign affairs and international relations during the Reagan Presidency are mostly discussed in the original part of the Songbook.
Introduction – General Characteristics of the 1980s- The Reagan Years
Ronald Reagan, who served two terms as president in the 1980s (Jan. 1981- Jan. 1989), was responsible for planting the seeds of modern republicanism (that is before Donald Trump and Trumpism). It is generally understood that Reagan was elected president as a result of multiple cultural crises and international events of the 1970s that eroded confidence in liberal solutions, such as the rise of the religious right and the reaction against the gay rights movement, feminism and the Equal Rights Amendment, grassroots reactions against busing ordered by federal judges, the defeat in Vietnam, the collapse of détente and fears of Soviet power, the challenge of imported cars and textiles, the deindustrialization of the Rust Belt, soaring inflation, stagflation, and the energy crisis, as well as the humiliation the nation suffered during the Iran hostage crisis and the sense of malaise as the nation wondered if its glory days had passed.
One of the most common themes of The Reagan Years centers on the dominance of the “Yuppies” – Young Urban Professionals. “Yuppies” is a term that refers to people in their twenties and thirties in the 1980s who were quite wealthy and shamelessly flaunted it. They went to great lengths to keep up their luxurious lifestyles and the appearances of such. These flashy big spenders came to epitomize the excesses of that decade.
During this period many more talented young people than in previous periods were lured by the glitter and intensity of the financial world at the expense of more traditional, less lucrative pursuits. Too many people on Wall Street made too much money too quickly. However, money was only part of what attracted “the best and the brightest” to Wall Street. “Attitude” mattered too: “You had only to spend about five minutes with these people to realize they didn’t see themselves as part of orthodox business culture…They saw themselves romantically, as guerrillas in the corporate jungle. They were fanatics with attitudes.” (Michael Lewis, The Money Culture.)
Culturally, The Eighties are seen by many as a time of excess and extremes. From Boy George to Madonna, metal heads to valley girls, and workout clothes to shoulder pads, The Eighties are well known for their extreme fashions, such as “big hair“, New Wave, punk rock, funk and Rap music, which first started to get big in the 80s, and often went with breakdancing.
Americans of the 1980s became status seekers and shopaholics; the “Me Generation” was born. It was a decade of self-indulgence. A new television show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, provided glimpses into the opulent lives of celebrities, with host Robin Leach wishing viewers “champagne dreams and caviar wishes.” Business leaders became folk heroes and celebrities. Donald J. Trump, for example, won national acclaim for touting how his mastery of “the art of the deal” enabled him to amass a fortune by renovating buildings in New York, building casinos in Atlantic City, and putting his name on those properties. Ivan Boesky, a notorious financier, became even wealthier by speculating in corporate mergers and acquisitions and then defended his acquisitive lifestyle by claiming that “greed is all right.”
Yuppies in the Sky, Tom Paxton, (1985) https://youtu.be/LzjNx-Nncoc?si=XG0XTTuB9a3lRein
One night as I was walking down Columbus Avenue
The sushi bars were shuttered, and the dark cantina too
I stood there in the darkness as an empty cab rolled by
When all at once I heard the sound of yuppies in the skyThe herd came down Columbus for as far as I could see
The men were wearing polo and the women wore esprit
Each yuppie had a Walkman, and as each one passed me by
I saw their sad expressions and I heard their mournful cryCondos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the sky
Condos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the skyEach one was wearing running shoes upon the ghostly deck
And each one had a cotton sweater wrapped around his neck
They all held out their credit cards and tried in vain to buy
But all the stores were shuttered to the yuppies in the skyCondos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the sky
Condos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the skyI’d seen them in commercials sailing boats and playing ball
Pouring beer for one another, crying, “Why not have it all”
Now I saw their ghostly progress down Columbus Avenue
I heard their cries for mercy and it chilled me through and throughCondos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the sky
Condos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the skyAll the salad bars were empty, all the quiche Lorraine was gone
I heard the yuppies crying as they vanished in the dawn
Calling brand names to each other, they faded from my view
They’d be networking forever down Columbus AvenueCondos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the sky
Condos for sale, Condos to buy, Oh Yuppies in the sky
Of course, the Soviet Union collapsed in the late Eighties. There can be no doubt that by the end of the Reagan Years, America was a significantly different place than when he took over the Presidency in 1980.
President Reagan – Champion Jack Dupree (This song is a reflection of the belief the Reagan and the Republicans initiated an era that economically favored the white upper class, leaving the lower-class minorities hoping for better times.) https://youtu.be/m1-mt4hlB3M
Lord Lord I wonder how long
‘Fore I can change my dirty clothes
I wonder how long
‘Fore I can change my dirty clothes
I haven’t been doin’ nothing
Whoo Lord Lord but walkin’ up and down the roadPeople you know I know
I know how the poor people feel
You know I know
Jus’ how the poor people feel
When you don’t have nothin’
I know your life don’t feel realPeople call me black
I know every word they say is true
People call me black
I know every word they say is true
But there ain’t nothin’ in the world, whoo Lord Lord
A poor black man could doPresident Reagan helped the rich
And he never say nothin’ ’bout the poor
President Reagan helped the rich
and he never say nothin’ ’bout the poor
But I’m so glad
He won’t be president no moreWhat President Kennedy give us
Old Reagan’s took it back
What President Reagan’s [sic] give us
Old Reagan’s took it back
He cut off the poor veteran, ooh Lord Lord
And he even took on the taxBut I’m so glad
President Reagan only got two more years
Yes I’m so glad
He only got two more years
And the world will be happy, ooh Lord Lord
And we won’t shed no more tearsGot that woman on the White House,
She’s blindfolded holdin’ two scales
Got that woman on the lighthouse [sic],
She’s blindfolded holdin’ two scales
And they say the scales mean justice
Ooh Lord Lord for the white folks it mean just them(?)
On his 1989 album, Big Daddy, John Mellancamp’s song “Country Gentleman”, “a scathing indictment on Ronald Reagan”, follows the same theme. Written and recorded during Reagan’s final year in office, the song’s last line thanks God that “he went back to California.” https://youtu.be/9K0A-ZLvvqk
Country gentleman walked a crooked mile
Got our money in his pocket
Did it all with a very handsome smile
Now, he’s livin’ it up in a great big office
He ain’t a-gonna help no poor man
He ain’t a-gonna help no poor man
He ain’t a-gonna help no poor man
He’s just gonna help his rich friendsHe ain’t a-gonna help no women
He ain’t a-gonna help no children
He’s just gonna help his rich friendsCountry gentleman, we see him on T.V.,
Glad handin’ folks and chattin’ to the nation
We never knew what really to believe
Just word upon slogan with emotional connectionHe ain’t a-gonna help no poor man
He ain’t a-gonna help no children
He ain’t a-gonna help no women
He’s just gonna help his rich friendsAnd in the papers all we’d ever read is
So and so big-shot signed his resignation
Now, country gentleman he wants us to believe
That he’s kind and honest with the best intentionsHe ain’t a-gonna help no poor man
He ain’t a-gonna help no children
He ain’t a-gonna help no women
He’s just gonna help his rich friendsCountry gentleman, now there’s a bird that flew
High above his nation, prayed on its weakness
Picked our bones and threw it in his stew
Thank God he went back to California