David Fermers Lyric Lane „I Need A Dollar“ von Aloe Blacc

The question that begins Aloe Blacc's world-famous soul song is: "If I share with you my story, would you share your dollar with me?" The Californian singer of Panamanian descent goes on to share his story with his listeners - and it's surprisingly autobiographical.

"I had a job, but the boss man let me go", sings Aloe. The same is true of Aloe Blacc. He wasn't always a singer. The 32-year-old used to work for a company called Ernst & Young until he lost his job, just like the man in the song. Whether his boss really told him "I won't be needing your help no more" is something Aloe hasn't said. In the song, the man goes on to plead with his employer. "I said, please Mister Boss Man, I need this job more than you know, but he gave me my last pay check and sent me out of the door."

Aloe Blacc's song "I Need A Dollar" has been playing on radio stations across the world for months now. Some people have called him "The Voice of Recession". For many people, particularly in Aloe's home country of America, times are hard. The financial crisis created instability in many homes; lots of people either lost their jobs or are scared of losing their jobs. Perhaps that's why so many people like "I Need A Dollar". It's about them and their lives, or the lives of people they know.

Aloe's parents originally came from a country called Panama. Panama lies in Central America, to the south of the United States. Like many countries in Central America, Panama used to be a very poor country. That's why Aloe's parents came to the United States in the first place. They were looking for a better life. But now, more than thirty years later, the economy in Panama is booming. Never before have so many people been in employment or so many children gone to school. That's the way of the world. While the good fortune of America is falling, things are getting better for people elsewhere. But, as Aloe Blacc sings in his song, it's always important to remember that "all that glitters isn't gold".

Vokabeln

to share = teilen;
descent = Abstammung;
to plead = flehen;
employer = Arbeitgeber;
pay check = Gehaltsscheck;
to create = verursachen;
to be scared = Angst haben;
poor = arm;
to be in employment = erwerbstätig;
good fortune = Glück;
elsewhere = woanders;
to glitters = glänzen