by Michael Todd

It's a Wednesday night at Slowdown Jr., the kind of slow night where Tim McMahan can ask, "Who here is not with the band?" and be introduced to just one gentleman, me sitting at the bar. We met for an interview — for a feature in the works — and after a good deal of discussion on how to write music journalism, the history of Lazy-i and more, the interview partly on interviews yielded the floor to Midwest Dilemma.

McMahan says he likes watching musicians shape chords on their guitar since he's learning how, and there isn't much to Justin Lamoureux's playing. The four-piece adds just enough ornamentation to color the simple progressions. Midwest Dilemma has gone through a number of changes in its cast: from a large production of 15 or so people to a solo setup, fluctuating every so often.

It was last July at a Red Sky Festival showcase that I spoke with Lamoureux about his song "The Great Depression." The band was somewhere in between at around seven members, and the song is nothing complex, just a story of his grandparents struggling to live off the land during, you guessed it, the Great Depression. What helps lift it to a higher standard of songwriting are the perspectives used.

An omniscient scene-setter in the verses gives way to first-person from Lamoureux's grandmother in the first chorus and in the second to his grandfather. To say there are verses and a chorus, though, is to assume a change in music. No, after last week's Cursive song with all kinds of exotic chords, "The Great Depression" provides a bit of solace from the storm. It's two chords and the truth, and that's it.

Listen to Lamoreux talk about the song's story just below, hear Midwest Dilemma play it live and follow along with the chord chart provided. Or just throw a capo on the second fret and play A minor and E repeatedly. And once you've got that down, read McMahan's review of Wednesday's show here.

INTERVIEW

SONG

CHORDS

CAPO ON SECOND FRET

Am-E and repeat

Am                                E                 Am                                 E
The Missouri River it flows, and down to the valley he goes
Am                                         E                         
His only possession is his family, a fortune
        Am                                  E
The father, a farmer and a friend

Am-E

        Am                                               E
The dust clouds come in over the hills
                Am                           E
You can hear the sound of horses and men
        Am                                  E
And all the crops lost their yield
         Am                                       E                      Am      E
And autumn, the bill collectors come one by one

Am                                       E
Arthur, you don’t have to sell
        Am                                          E
You don’t have to give up your land
Am                                       E
Arthur, you don’t have to sell
        Am                                          E
You don’t have to give up your land
         Am                                E          
It’s a great big world, it’s a great big depression
       Am                                       E
But Arthur, you don’t have to sell

Am-E and repeat

        Am                                   E
She waits at the side of the road
        Am                                  E
She waves to her children as they go
Am                   E
Off to work for money
      Am               E
Or off to war to sacrifice
Am          E                    Am                                           E
Victoria, Victoria, you don’t have to give up your diamonds and gold
Am          E                    Am                                           E
Victoria, Victoria, you don’t have to give up your diamonds and gold
Am-E
No
Am-E
No

Am

Michael Todd is Hear Nebraska's managing editor. He would be forever grateful to anyone who could provide him a horse to ride upon. Reach him at michaeltodd@hearnebraska.org.