Welcome to the Merle Hazard guest book!  This guest book started accumulating comments back in 2007. The more recent comments are at the bottom.  Comments are moderated, and usually take about one day to post. (If it takes longer, please email merlehazard@gmail.com.)

(There is a link to a special message for the Greek audience on the prior page, here.)

102 comments:

Anonymous said...

[still laughing]

Makes my day. Totally makes my day. Will forward to everybody I know.

Merle Hazard '08!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Merle - you need to work on a bluesy "Level 3 inputs" ballad!

Keep singin' and pickin'!

Anonymous said...

Merle, When oh when are you going to record Time With You?

Time for some Sun Sessions.

MerleFan in NYC

Anonymous said...

It is amazing to have Merle blasting across the floor! Trades just get more relaxed!

Thanks, Merle!

From England, with love.

Anonymous said...

"Hamptons" is awesome! Keep picking, Merle!!

Anonymous said...

I handed my husband this morning's NY Times description of your new song, and he broke up. I've since sent to select family and friends the URLs allowing viewing of both that and H-E-D-G-E.

You've got some new fans (ones living a bit west of the Hamptons, and familiar with the risks of investment).

Anonymous said...

Any chance you'll develop a whole CD, in time for Christmas?

Anonymous said...

Loved it! But could you post lyrics to help the hearing impaired follow along?

Anonymous said...

Too funny Merle, just listened to H E D G E, will pick up Hamptons shortly as well. Keep up the great work.

Anonymous said...

merle -- count me as your first groupie!!!

and the first first merch i want to buy is a ladies-sized 'HAZARD' belt buckle!!

please please!

Anonymous said...

You outshine the entire neighborhood...I did not know so much was going on in that garage! Please keep writing and performing!!

Anonymous said...

Great Job! ME2

Anonymous said...

Chapeau! Very delightful.

Anonymous said...

hi ...

but the thing is the big fish go away with 100 million dollar paycheck ...

but thats part of a bankers life ..happened in1987 in 2000 and now its gonna become even worse

frank from vienna

Anonymous said...

No question, the songs are awesome!
But what I find even better is, you studied philosophy in Harvard and got finally to Wall Street. How did you do this? Cool!

Greetings from Mannheim, Germany

Anonymous said...

Hi, great Song!
May you could place the text, please.

Kupidon

Anonymous said...

This might actually help educate a few of your fellow Americans. Good work!

Anonymous said...

wow, who knew this guy had such a great voice?!? When is the vid for "My Time with You" coming out? Get on it Merle!

Anonymous said...

Merle, you dawg.

When do I get to sing backup?

Love,
an adoring outlaw

JLAIII said...

Hey Merle - check out the bond insurers! Now that's "another done somebody wrong song."

Best,

Tim Adler,
Audrey Wolf
New York

Anonymous said...

Congratulations to two wonderful ballads - hope another will follow soon. Made my evening.
Thank you.

Markus, Bregenz, Austria

PS: How about a song "In the Carribean" - in case you have a small Austrian bank BAWAG, formerly owned by the ÖGB, the largest union in the country, now sold to hellhound Cerberus, on your radar.

Anonymous said...

Merle,

I teach accounting and finance for law students at the University of Tennessee. As part of my review at the end of the semester, I played H-E-D-G-E and prepared a Powerpoint presentation explaining the terms you used that we had discussed during the semester. Students loved it.

Bob Lloyd

Anonymous said...

Way to go!

Norman Yamada

Anonymous said...

brilliant.
might help if you put lyrics on.

Anonymous said...

Awesome!

Now, can we have a song about earmarks?

Anonymous said...

I used to hmmmm "Special things, special, special, special things, special things that I ruuuuv." when I was feeling happy. Now, I sing "I’ll take the chorus, you’ll take the universe."

tnbedlington said...

Merle

I know your lovely Ann thru knitting... She is actually the one who taught me to knit. I love the green with envy song and have forwarded it to the other beautification/recycling commissioners and directors. Maybe you could help us promote recycling / green living ... Will keep you posted!!

Andy C said...

Merle, loved "Green With Envy." Thanks for the laughs and keep 'em coming!

Andy C.

Anonymous said...

Merle - Best "Subprime-Singer" ever!!! ;-)

Best wishes from Germany!

Anonymous said...

I teach a course on financial market volatility at Sydney University, and Merle's songs are key texts - they make the crazy workd of finance compehendible.
I would really like a song about the pricing of options and about credit default swaps.

Thanks Merle

radley said...

HaHaHa! Great stuff!

Anonymous said...

HaHaHa! Great stuff! Keep 'em coming!

Anonymous said...

Remembered seeing "HEDGE" and "In the Hamptons" last year, from the link on Ann and Kay's blog. . . this year they're even funnier. . . love the new one, too. . .hope you're working on some more songs!

Anonymous said...

Merle,

You've found a way to make all this financial chaos seem bearable. If nothing else, the inspiration you have drawn from the economic collapse makes it all worth it! Keep pluckin' and singin'. We need your voice!

Mark Elder said...

Just saw 'Mark To Market'! Seems like Merle comes through -- I was hankerin' for another song, and I appreciate you servin' one up. btw, was that your photo I saw going up on the wall at the Loveless Cafe?

Inflation Targeter said...

MERLE = WIN

Unknown said...

Merle, I've learned -- and understood -- more about this financial weirdness from you than from CNN, PBS and college math combined. You ROCK.

Anonymous said...

I do wish that you and "the boys" would put together a music video DVD, or failing that, to run about a dozen tracks into an album and sell it over iTunes.

Colorfulknitter said...

Thanks for the entertaining songs! I saw one posted on Ann's blog and went to your website to listen to more. In a past life, I was a banker, am now a knitter, and have a son in B-school who loves to play guitar and listen to country music songs. I have forwarded your URL to him. What fun! Dropping your water bottle with A. Laffer was great!

Thomas said...

Great stuff! Funniest songs I've heard in a long time!

Cheers from Munich

Thomas

Anonymous said...

Hi Merle,
I´m working for a German investment magazin - DAS INVESTMENT - and we would like to inform our reader about your new song. So, please could you send me untill tomorrow a printable picture from you? If you have any questions, please let me know.
Best wishes
Claudia

Claudia Kampeter
Bildredakteurin

DAS INVESTMENT
Fonds & Friends Verlag GmbH
Goldbekplatz 3 - 5
22303 Hamburg
Fon: +49 40 401 999 - 62
Fax: +49 40 401 999 - 60
www.dasinvestment.com

Handelregister: HRB 73703
Amtsgericht Hamburg
Geschäftsführer:
Peter Ehlers
Gerd Bennewirtz

Malte said...

Hi Merle,
I´m working for a German investment magazin and we would like to bring a news about your new song and a photo of you. Please could you send me a printable one untill tomorrow?
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Thanks

Whipping Post said...

A breath of fresh air in this crazy little thing we know as socialism. God bless you, Ron Paul, Gary North, and Von Misses.

Brain Damaged said...

Pure genius!

lou Dobbs said...

Wow...just great. With your permission, I'd love to play your songs on my radio show.

Unknown said...

I was shown the video Old Time Recession in my Labor Economics class. Between preping for grad school exams and other work, it made my week! Great job!

Merle Hazard said...

Thanks Cory, I am flattered. If you are comfortable telling me the name of the university, I will list it at the "Extras" page (take a look). You can email me using the link on the home page, or leave another comment if you prefer. Or not, that's OK too...thanks much for the comment!

Doug Gentry said...

Hey, Merle -

After playing "Old Time Recession" in my principles of macro class, I'm getting several references to it in student answers to some recent test questions. Must have made an impact!

...Doug Gentry

Unknown said...

Our professor talked about you in Accounting 200 at the University of Kansas. Love your music.

Anonymous said...

Great songs and web site. I found it via a post by Greg Mankiw. Since you manage investments and are obviously no stranger to math and physics, you might find some of this stuff interesting:
http://www.mathestate.com/tools/Financial/map/Overview.html

Keep up the good work!
Bob Rimmer

Anonymous said...

There are many ways to educate. You have chosen to do so and to add some levity to a dire situation.

You may not realize that your works are reaching those of us who are not intellectuals or scholars, but are growing in our understanding of economics. Maybe true change happens when the truths that are understood at your levels reach those of us who are common citizens.

The average American has no education in economics or appreciation of history. You are reaching people beyond your expectations, I think.

MerleHazard said...

Special message to Greek listeners, from Merle Hazard:

Στους ακροατές μου στην Ελλάδα: Είμαι πολύ ειλικρινής θαυμαστής του ελληνικού έθνους, και το λαό της και ένδοξη ιστορία. Ζηλεύω τον πλούτο της πολιτιστικής παράδοσης σας, και είμαι θαυμαστής του Πλάτωνα, του Αριστοτέλη, Ευκλείδης, ο Πυθαγόρας και ο Αριστοφάνης. το τραγούδι μου για την ελληνική έκδοση του χρέους αφορά μόνον τα οικονομικά θέματα. Δεν στρέφεται κατά του λαού ή η καλλιέργεια Ελλάδα. Πριν τραγούδησα για την ελληνική οικονομικά προβλήματα, έχω τραγούδησαν διάφορα τραγούδια σχετικά με τα οικονομικά προβλήματα στις ΗΠΑ ελπίζω ότι θα λάβει όλα τα τραγούδια μου στο χιουμοριστικό και αστείο πνεύμα με το οποίο προορίζονται.


(To my listeners in Greece: I am a very sincere admirer of the Greek nation, and its people and glorious history. I envy the richness of your cultural tradition, and am admirer of Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, Pythagoras and Aristophanes. My song about the Greek debt issue is directed only at financial matters. It is not directed at the people or culture of Greece. Before I sang about Greek financial problems, I sang several songs about financial problems in the U.S.A. I hope you will take all of my songs in the humorous and funny spirit in which they are intended.)

Anonymous said...

Satire is a Greek invention. The word comes from the band of creatures ("Σάτυροι"- "Satiri") that followed Dionusos (Bachus in Roman mythology), insulting everyone they met along their merry way and joking at their expense. Their upper body resembled that of a man; their lower body that of a goat (signifying their dual nature, man and beast).

This led to the birth of Satire. Aristophanes put it to particularly great use, in order to strengthen Athenian Democracy by pointing out its various problems. A frequent target for his jokes was Athenian politician and general Cleon, who nevertheless apparently enjoyed Aristophanes' work.

Merle, please just ignore the sillier comments my compatriots send you. Greeks may be many things, but cool-headed we are not. Plus, it appears that the sense of humour is the first to go when things get tough...

SANDY SARANDINOU -CHRISTODOULAKH said...

HOWDIE PARTNER...
I JUST HEARD THE SONG:THE GREEK DEBT..IT WAS TOTALLY AWSOME...I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE REST OF THE CRETEIANS,HERE..IF THEY LIKE IT OR NOT..BUT I UNDERSTOOD IT..TOTALLY...
YOUR GREEK-AMERICAN FAN..SANDRA SARANDINOU-CHRISTODOULAKIS...
FORMER LONG ISLAND,NEW YORKER..AND NOW A HERAKLEIO,CRETEIAN.....
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
AND KEEP ON SINGING...
SANDRA SARANDINOU

Anonymous said...

Dear sir I love your sense of humor. Just one question where did the music video of the song about the Greek debt, was shot? I would bet that thee building at the backround is Parthenon.... Is there an imitation of it in your country or is it a result of special effects??
Many thanks
Keep up the good work!!!
Aggeliki from Crete, Greece

Cat Man said...

Well since we see lots of 'so called' Greeks or Cretans admiring your song, I, as a Cretan, am pretty offended not by the song, since I love sarcastic humor, but by the fact that you or your song writer mentioned Crete to be sold. Espesially now that there is Turkish fighter jets invading our air space, with the US help! Really, why did you stop your American tour to do this song? It seems pretty suspicious for the Hellenic people around the globe. I'd say they must have paid you a hell of a lot of money, to stop your tour AND do a stupid comment like that for Crete. You can have this comment erased also

Merle Hazard said...

Σας ευχαριστώ για την παρατήρησή σας. Δεν θέλω να πουλήσουν Ελλάδα Κρήτη. Αυτό δεν θα συμβεί ποτέ. Η ιδέα της πώλησης είναι παράλογο. Για τον λόγο αυτό, προσπάθησα να κάνω ένα αστείο του ως το τελευταίο μέρος του τραγουδιού. Δεν είμαι κάνει μια πολιτική δήλωση για την Κρήτη ή την Ελλάδα. Το τραγούδι είναι μια οικονομική σάτιρα, και τίποτα περισσότερο. Και, δεν πραγματικά τραγουδήσει σε φυλακές. Αυτό είναι ένα αστείο, επίσης. Όλα όσα κάνω είναι σάτιρα.

Thank you for your comment. I do not want Greece to sell Crete. That will never happen. The idea of a sale is absurd. For that reason, I tried to make a joke of it as the final part of the song. I am not making a political statement about Crete or Greece. The song is a financial satire, and nothing more. And, I do not really sing at prisons. That is a joke, too. Everything I do is satire.

Georgios Gialtouridis said...

Mr. Hazard,

I would like to offer a slight revision to your satirical rendition of Manos Hadjidakis' popular song "Never on Sunday."

I believe you will agree that my revision titled "Never on Wall Street" conforms more to the times.

NEVER ON WALL STREET

Oh yes, the Greeks gave us Pythagoras, and Euclid, and Plato, which for us is a plus
But balancing their budget, their budget, their budget, is tough to do like us
They used derivatives from Goldman, from Goldman, from Goldman who gave them the idea
Then had the European Union, the Union, the Union to find a panacea

They borrowed short, at a lower rate
Like the Wall Street brokers, we have grown to hate
And when the markets, started crumbling down
Greece had a serious problem like others all around

The budget problems of the Greeks, of the Greeks, of the Greeks, are a European pain
But why do they call them PIGS, call them PIGS call them PIGS along with Portugal, Italy and Spain
The ECB and IMF, IMF, IMF, now started strutting their stuff
As the people in Greece, in Greece, in Greece are pleading enough is enough.

Let’s hear a little bouzouki!
[Instrumental]

And when the markets, started crumbling down
Greece had a serious problem like others all around

Some say that Greece may drop the Euro, the Euro, the Euro so their products can compete
While Germany and France, and Holland and Belgium can’t balance their own sheet,
But don’t blame Greece for problems, for problems, for problems that started on Wall Street.

Evan(gelos) said...

"""Comment deleted

This post has been removed by a blog administrator."""


hmmm, very nice and democratic attitude Mr Merle....

just a Greek viewer not laughing...

Anonymous said...

I think that US greeks DONT have a sense of humor!!

To prove me wrong the greek gov should give away t-shirts to various banks the IMF and the ECB.

The message on the t-shirt should be
"I Lent Greece 1,000,000,000 Euros and all i got back was this lousy t-shirt0

Great video BTW. Sorry fot the hate mail from fellow greeks

Anonymous said...

usa debt=11.4 trillion $
GREECE debt=200 bill. euro

usa=WAR-BOMBING-Misinformation-global cop

GREECE=DEMOCRACY-CULTURE-ART-SCIENCE-ARISTOTELIS-SOCRATES-PLATON-PYTHAGORAS-ALEXANDER THE GREAT

usa=?

Unknown said...

Hey man, I'm from Greece and I'm more than worried about our financial (and NOT ONLY) problems.
Just a dose of humor (for the ones they have it AND understand it) NEVER harmed no one.
Keep it up and good luck to you and your boyz :)

Did I mention I'm a big fan of country music? Naaaaaa :)

Unknown said...

You were on TV
http://www.skai.gr/player/tv/?mmid=203032

Expat47 said...

REF: The Greek Parody

Great job!

The ancient Greeks invented satire so any modern day Greek that give you any grief just doesn't get it!

Anonymous said...

Merle,

What a great trio! Bet you could land a spot on the Colbert Report. Has more credence than boring ole' pbs.org

Keep up the great work!

Unknown said...

Congrats! I loved your songs. Could you post the lyrics?

I'll be waiting for...

Your Brazilian fan,
Juliana

Merle Hazard said...

Juliana,
Thanks! Lyrics for many of the songs are available by starting at the "Song" tab at the www.merlehazard.com website, and then clicking the name of the song you choose. Best, Merle H.

Merle Hazard said...

P.S. The "Songs" tab, I meant to say.

Nick said...

Your song about Greek policymakers is true, but as a Greek I am saddened that you made this. I don't believe Greece needs to hear outsiders making fun of their policymakers.
I'm sure you could make many more songs mocking U.S. policymakers. For starters, how about a song mocking our government suing the state of Arizona over illegal immigration (or one of the foreign countries suing)? Or a song about banning deep-water drilling for 6 months? Or since your from Nashville, how about a song how the media and government didn't pay any attention to the devastating floods?

Merle Hazard said...

Nick, not to argue, but just to inform, I have tried to be direct in singing about U.S. financial matters, too. You might take a look at my songs "Bailout," "Inflation or Deflation?" and "In the Hamptons," among others.

Incidentally, I normally don't comment on comments, but tonight, I just felt like it.

Nick said...

Merle, those are good. I just felt I had to give you my "2 cents worth".

Anonymous said...

Heard you on BBC. LOVE IT! If you read Rogoff's book "This time it's different" you will get a lot more material: Like the Ancient Greek ruler who called in all the coins and restamped them (a one dracma was restamped two dracma), the various rulers who shaved the weight and/or size of their coinage, the 'off books' debt of the US, etc. The point is...it is no different this time.

Anyway, though I'm not a C/W fan in general (I like some of it but not most of it) I do like your songs and your style.

Another Merle fan said...

Big fan, Merle, of you, Bretton, and the crew.

Just stumbled on this Hayek v. Keynes rap-off, which you might enjoy. Not exactly your Nashvillesque stylings, but amusing just the same:

http://econstories.tv/#1

http://econstories.tv/#4

Anonymous said...

Woah. Thank you for playin' these tunes.

Anonymous said...

I listened to a lot of your songs only because of Francis' beautiful and tasteful mandolin playing. Please use more of her.. And let her know that she makes the music come much more alive.

Susan Ballentine Padgett said...

Merle - "Double-Dippin'" is an absolute riot.

Oh - and tell Jon Shayne that I remember him very well from the days at University School of Nashville, when he was part of my sister Linda's "Lunch Hour" gang of friends.

Susan Ballentine Padgett

The Peak Oil Poet said...

Hi Merle

maybe you could put music to my poem

here's one of the choruses

when the bankers go to jail ee-hah
when the bankers go to jail
we’ll all be dancing in the streets
when the bankers go to jail

http://thepeakoilpoet.blogspot.com/2011/07/when-bankers-go-to-jail.html

yours with anticipation of mutual fame and fortune

pop

Unknown said...

Hello Jon:

I reposted my comment on YouTube.

After doing my first bank directors' examination in 1979, traveling over the decades to do these off and on in a variety of states in banks from small to large, I quit/changed professions (in disgust I might add) after the 2008 financial system crisis. As soon as I figured out what really happened and the big banks/corporate credit unions had carte blanche while the regulatory examiners kept the screws on the small banks/credit unions, I was done.

I was already considering leaving after the Bank Secrecy Act, Patriot Act, and OFAC. I could no longer beat up, write up banks and credit unions over $2,500/$5,000/$10,000 chump change for not recognizing losses on repossessions, foreclosures, loans, or other unrecognized losses after I saw the FDIC and NCUA let BILLIONS of DOLLARS go down the drain because they had no clue what they were doing. LOL I was pissing on a forest fire, so to speak, and subsequently refused to have anything to do with Dodd-Frank FinReg.

Keep up the great work! You have a laser-focused, satirical wit.

David

Jim Stodder said...

Thanks for your work. I think I have a new addition to my Macro syllabus.

Asset Growth Junkies said...

It's been over 4 years since H.E.D.G.E. first came out, and it's still one of the best synopsis of how it all went down - and by far the funniest.

Amazing work on all pieces. We may all love accumulating assets, but if the worst comes around, selling off Crete might be the way to go.

Hope to see more songs soon.

Jan Breuer said...

I teach at the University of South Carolina and play your 'Inflation or Deflation?' song every semester in my Intermediate Macro Theory class and follow it up with discussion. It sticks with the students.

Anonymous said...

One of my friends in Chattanooga has been trying to get me to listen to your songs for over a year, and finally tonight I pulled up your web site. I love them! Very creative and insightful. I'm going to recommend them to some others. Hopefully they react and pull up your website more quickly than I did!

Anonymous said...

I love showing Merle's songs in my economics classes. Unfortunately, the latest songs come without the lyrics on the web page. As I am teaching German students a printed copy of the lyrics would help a lot. Is there a (still) a place in where I can get hold of a copy?
Christian

MerleHazard said...

Thanks Christian, for the reminder. I have been meaning to do that! Several lyric sheets are now linked at the appropriate point on the web site.

roross said...

Hey Merle. Yours is all good stuff. Here's a song of mine that I believe would suit you and I reckon you'd score big with. It's called Bankoland

http://www.reverbnation.com/control_room/artist/2615444/songs#

Ray said...

Merle, The Great Unwind was wonderful. I will show it to my Money & Banking class at Rutgers. It was sent to me by a friend at the Federal Reserve.

Merle Hazard said...

Thanks for telling me, Ray! That's wonderful. If you care to give me any details, just email me at merle hazard@gmail.com (because at my site, I like to list examples of the song being played in classrooms).

Merle Hazard said...

merlehazard@gmail.com, that is.

Anonymous said...

I teach economics to engineering students who HATE IT. You are a great help in making the process less painful for these bright (but dense) humans. Thank you Thank you

Terry Filicko said...

Just heard you on the NewsHour on PBS (1/9/15). Very engaging. Thanks! I am teaching an Econ class this coming term (starts Monday) -- I hope to incorporate some of your songs. Thanks!
- Terry Filicko

Daniel Richardson said...

After seeing your first video (referenced by Gary North), I was so entertained that I buzzed through many others. Great sense of humor about untenable situations not of our individual making. Please make a video about how to CYA to insulate yourself from one of the catastrophes you have sung about.

Kilroy said...

Merle,

Heard you on Bloomberg's Odd Lots podcast today and love your music. As someone with degrees in finance and economics, your songs have the rare knack for both being great satire and very educational.


Any chance you could please do a song on negative interest rates? I am thinking of lyrics like those below (to the tune of I've Got Rhythm)...

You've got negative rates... in the... Baltic States, and... savers are cryin but nobody's dyin, so... Who could ask for anything more?

Kevin said...

This is a great site! I never thought that there is such like this!

gggg said...

I was shown these videos in High School (Mr. V's AP Micro for the win!), and just thought about it when my college roommate was working on her final. It took me some looking, but I found your video and it still makes me laugh. Dual Mandate is my favorite, but they are all entertaining, and now my roommate is e-mailing them to her Political Economy prof here at Colorado Christian University. Keep up the great work:)

Unknown said...

I love the guitarist you sometimes feature, Wolf Jackson. Does he have his own website or a steady band that he performs with? I would like to know where I can hear more of his work. Thanks!

Merle Hazard said...

You have good taste! His website is www.robjacksonstudio.com, and you can find out all about him there, and even get in touch with him. He gives guitar lessons to the stars in Nashville, by the way -- literally. He has a new 7-piece band playing soul with horns and a Hammond B-3. That new band will start playing publicly in the fall, he tells me, so stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

The New Yorker’s classical music critic, Alex Ross, posted to your “Ol’ Atonal Music” video under the title “Song of the Year” — that’s how I came across it. It is funny every time I listen! I’m going to try to learn it on my ukulele.

https://www.therestisnoise.com/2019/02/song-of-the-year.html

Unknown said...

I really enjoy "Ol Atonal Music". It takes me back to my days in music college when we were constructing 12 tone rows and 12 tone matrix. This is the first time that I have heard a banjo play a 12 tone solo and the mandolin play a 12 tone run. Very impressive. I enjoy this song just about every evening. Who would have thought 12 tone would ever been incorporated into bluegrass? Brilliant, just brilliant!

DarienSteve said...

My HS AP Econ classes loves the songs and joins in for the choruses! Thanks

DarienSteve said...

My HS AP Econ classes loves the songs and joins in for the choruses! Thanks

D Fin said...

I play (Gimme Some of That) Ol' Atonal Music to end 20th-century theory classes. It's a nice closer to what we discuss--thanks for making it!

Unknown said...

the atonal music piece was priceless. so much fun. but seriously....