I can't afford working

A collab with Jaromi Draziewsky. There's a true story behind this song.

Words and Music Peter Holmqvist
Fingerpicking Acoustic Guitar, Vocals and Electric Guitar: Peter Holmqvist
Bass Snaredrums Harmonica and Videoeding: Jaromi Drażewski

Hi everybody, I'm proud to present a new song. I wrote the lyrics and composed this bluesy song. My polish friend Jaromi Drażewski is playing Bass, Snaredrums and Harmonica. He also has a YT-page, he makes very entertaining videos that you can watch on http://www.youtube.com/user/BluesJaromi. I do the Singing, Acoustic Guitar Picking and I also do some Electric Blues solo playing. The last year and a half I've only played acoustics, but recently I bought myself a Gibson Firebird and I love playing it.

The song's called " I can't afford working ", there is a true story behind it. For some time I was unemployed living on the dole. I made it pretty well, didn't complain about my situation. But when I took some temporary jobs to make some more money I ran into problems. I had to report all the hours I worked to the job centre and they withdrew the dole for these hours or days. But when I worked as a teacher I should have reported every hour as one and a half because they have time for planning too. Later I got to know about this and I had to pay back a lot of money. It turned out that working this way was just a loss of money, sleeping all day would have been better for the economy. So after that incident I had to watch out, to benefit from working was a question about what job to take and how many hours per week to work. When employers called me I sometimes had to say: Sorry but I can't afford working !! It's a long time ago but I still remember the blues I got having to pay back a lot of money. I don't know if the rules have changed since this happened to me, I do hope it's still not the same.

Hope you'll enjoy the song, it's the first time I upload something with both acoustic and electric guitars.

All the best from Peter

I can't afford working

There are many things in this world I can do
always know where I'm going to
Living my life with just about enough
there's just one thing that can piss me off

That I can't afford working (3X)
because of the rules of the dole.

Some people have problems getting around
Hard to stand with their feet on the ground
And others who can stand on their feet
struggling for their lives to make ends meet

They can't afford living (3X)
living on the dole.

For every hour I work they withdraw the dole
They seem to think that I'm a fool
I know you don't believe when I'm telling you
For one hours work they withdraw two

So I can't afford working ( 3X)
Stupid rules of the dole.

Somebody's got to do something clever here
A bastard made these rules I swear
I get better paid when I sleep all day
Sorry boss but I'll stay at home today

Cause I can't afford working (3X)
there's gotta be a change