Janis Joplin, a name synonymous with the raw energy and rebellious spirit of the 1960s, lived a life as intense as her music. While figures like Joe Walsh and Eric Clapton navigated the era’s excesses, Joplin, affectionately known as “Pearl,” tragically joined the ranks of music icons like Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, and Brian Jones, taken too soon.
Among her lasting contributions is the unforgettable “Mercedes Benz Song.” Introduced on her album ‘Pearl,’ Joplin herself described it as a piece of “great social and political import.” Co-written with Bob Neuwirth and Michael McClure, who conceived the opening line, the song cleverly critiques the rampant consumerism of the time. It serves as a gentle, yet pointed, reminder that true dissatisfaction stems not from genuine need, but from the yearning for unfulfilled, often superficial, material desires.
The song resonated deeply with the counter-culture movement of the era, and like many of her contemporaries, the author of the original piece found himself drawn to its message. However, revisiting the track decades later, he felt a slight disappointment with the brevity of the original composition, particularly the second verse. Driven by personal amusement, he decided to expand upon the song’s theme, updating the “color TV” verse and adding two new verses centered around a luxury watch and a lavish house. The extended version culminates with a nod to Joni Mitchell’s poignant lyric from “Big Yellow Taxi,” “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” reinforcing the song’s core message of appreciating what truly matters.
This personal rendition, which the author occasionally performs, retains the original first and third verses, seamlessly blending them with his own additions to amplify the song’s satirical edge.
Lord, won’t you buy me, a Mercedes Benz?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, with no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me, a Mercedes Benz?
Lord, won’t you buy me, a flat-screen TV?
My friends all done got one, some got two or three.
Worked hard all my lifetime, so I cannot see,
Why I shouldn’t have my, own flat-screen TV.
Lord, won’t you give me, a night on the town?
I’m countin’ on you Lord. Please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me, and buy the next round.
Oh Lord, won’t you give me – a night on the town?
Expanding on the desires, the verses continue with a taste for finer things:
Lord, won’t you buy me, a Car-tee-ay watch?
My friends all wear Dunhill, Raymond Weil and Swatch.
I’m happy with my Rolex, Lord, but it would be bliss,
To also have a gold car-tee-ay on my wrist.
The desires escalate further, reaching for aspirational real estate:
Lord, won’t you buy me, a house in Bel Air?
My friends all got houses, but they ain’ got none there.
Well, sure they’d be jealous, but I wouldn’t care,
Layin’ by my pool at my mansion in Bel Air.
And finally, the song concludes with a reflective and quieter tone, bringing the satirical prayer to a thoughtful close:
Lord, if you feel you can’t meet these requests,
Well, that ain’ a problem. I know you’ve done your best.
You’ve given me my family, my health and my friends,
An’ if that’s all I’m down for, well that’s – where – it – ends.
This extended version of the “Mercedes Benz song” not only pays homage to Janis Joplin’s original intent but also amplifies its message for a contemporary audience. The song’s satirical take on consumerism remains relevant, perhaps even more so in today’s world of relentless advertising and social media-driven desires. It’s a reminder to reflect on the fleeting nature of material wants and to appreciate the truly valuable aspects of life, a sentiment that resonates as powerfully now as it did in the era of Janis Joplin.
