Mercedes Benz Song - more verses

As many of you will know, Janis Joplin was a Hell-raising Wild Child of the 60s, taken early by the life she led. Joe Walsh, Eric Clapton and others survived those days of experimentation and excess but sadly, Pearl went the way of Keith Moon, Jim Morrison and Brian Jones.

One of her most famous achievements is the song below, which she describes on her album 'Pearl', as “a song of great social and political import”. This was written with Bob Neuwirth and Michael McClure, who had the original idea for the opening line. The song comments on the casual consumerism of that time, by reminding us that it’s not what we lack that makes us sad, but having our material desires, however shallow, unfulfilled.

Like most others of a hippy leaning in that era, I loved the song. On rediscovering it some 30 years later, I found myself disappointed at the second verse, but more at the song's brevity. So, just for my own amusement, I made it a bit longer. I updated the ‘colour TV’ verse and added two more about a watch and a house, closing with a nod toward the moving reminder from Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi - “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.

This is the version I sing for myself, now and again. The first and the third verses are from the original song.

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?

Then, these others came along.

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.

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 then to close, more quietly,

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.