This week’s Music Monday is a little different. Instead of highlighting music newly uploaded to our our YouTube channel, we’re widening the focus to celebrate food and farm-related music of all kinds! Over the weekend, I asked people on our Facebook page to share their picks for favorite songs somehow connected food and farms. I started with "Vega-Tables" by The Beach Boys, who performed on the Farm Aid stage three times (although they never played this song):
Below, enjoy some of the responses we got. First up is Johnny Cash singing “Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog” on The Muppet Show.
Next is a song and artist Farm Aid fans will be familiar with: John Mellencamp’s "Rain on the Scarecrow," performed here at the first Farm Aid concert in 1985.
Here’s Grand Funk Railroad’s “Save the Land”
This is "All the Pretty Horses" by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real:
Another Farm Aid board artist included is Neil Young’s "Harvest Moon" (performed here live at Farm Aid 1992).
Going a child-friendly route, "Oats Peas Beans and Barley Grow" was mentioned next:
Merle Haggard and Marty Stuart’s song “Farmer’s Blues”
Taking us way back, Marvin & Johnny’s “Cherry Pie”
“Sodbuster” by Danny St. Clair was suggested by his wife Bonnie.
Next up is Grateful Dead, who played at the first two Farm Aid concerts live via satellite, with “Let it Grow”
The next one is certainly new to me… The British “Scrumpy and Western” band The Wurzels with “Combine Harvester (Brand New Key)”
Traffic’s “John BarleyCorn”
Neil Young’s “Homegrown” was suggested by a few people. Here’s a version from last year’s Farm Aid concert with Crazy Horse and Willie Nelson helping out:
I feel like I heard this next song about 12,000 times back in the mid-90s. “Peaches” by The Presidents of the United States of America:
Levon Helm’s “Poor Old Dirt Farmer”
Elton John’s “Country Comfort” (another Farm Aid veteran, performing in 1990)
Alabama performing “40-Hour Work Week” live at the first Farm Aid concert:
Another Farm Aid pick! Here’s John Denver and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with “Back Home Again” also at the first Farm Aid:
George Strait’s “Heartland”
And finally, to end things, another English pick. Here’s The Who’s “Now I’m A Farmer”
We spend a lot of time thinking about music, farms and food, so if you’ve got more suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments!
