VIDEO: Tuning Thursdays on Friday: “Raised on Robbery”

Hello all, and welcome back to Tuning Thursdays, where you can kick back, imbibe your preferred libations, and plan to plan what you’ll do for the rest of the day. Last week, everyone’s favorite redheaded Okie had a thing or to say about envy and its pitfalls in “Why Do We Want What We Can’t Have.” The jury’s still out on that philosophical query, but we at Chevy Hardcore can’t afford to ponder for too long on such subjects. So, without further ado…

This week’s selection comes from folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell. It’s a song called “Raised on Robbery,” from her sixth studio album, Court and Spark. Inflected with jazzy tones and upbeat melody, the song is more or less about a barfly, as far as the internet is concerned.

Married and fortunate at one point in time, the woman recalls when the government had paid the couple a few thousand dollars to give up their home for the sake of a planned highway route. Her errant husband, a lethargic drunkard, managed to plow the ’57 Biscayne (not a correct model year, mind you; it would have been a 210 instead) into a ditch, and eventually left them both broke and homeless.

While the situation is dire for this poor divorcee, we can’t help but wonder what became of that Biscayne. Had she opted to haul it out and stow it in the barn, she could’ve sold it today for a good $5,000 at the low end. Too bad alcohol doesn’t fuel one’s foresight for car values.

Thanks for tuning in today. We’ll see you soon, and remember to always maintain your car, even if you hate it. You’ll be glad you did when it comes time for the trade-in.