Back in the 1960s, a young John Hartford recorded a fragment of a song called “Self Made Man” (it was released in 2019 in a posthumous album). Then in 1971, Hartford made a nice arrangement for it and recorded the song on his album “Radio John.” It’s a witty satire of those rich men who think they are self-made, though really their rise to financial success has come at the expense of others: “How many fingers must he step on, to do the best he can… Have you seen the bones his closet holds, Do you watch hi when he sharpens his knife?” It was a pretty good song, even though it was really just a fragment of a song.
Fast forward to 2022. Rachel Baiman, a young country and old-timey musician based in Nashville, decided to fill out Hartford’s song. She added another verse, for the women in the lives of “self-made men,” which manages to duplicate some of Hartford’s wit and sparkle:
Do you think you want to sit around and play a part
In the corner of his self made life
Stand by his side patiently
And try to be his perfect little wife?
Will you tell him that he’s done everything right
And that he should never take the blame
For the people cast off and trampled on,
Just because they got in his way?
How many men do you think it takes to make a self made man….
Huh. Reminds me of certain billionaires who are in the news right now.
Then Baiman added another melody for the chorus, which Hartford had just sung to the same melody as the verses. She has turned the song into an infectious sing-along song that challenges the prevailing mythos of the current economic order. (You won’t be surprised to learn that Baiman was raised by parents who belonged to the Democratic Socialist party.)
Worth listening to, and worth singing along to.
Here’s my interpretation of the chords and lyrics, provided here for educational purposes. You can copy them and paste them into a text editor or word processor with a mono-spaced font, and the chord symbols should line up with the lyrics correctly. Then go buy the song on Baiman’s website.
C F C
1. How many men do you think it takes, to make a self made man
C F C
How many fingers must he step on, to do the best he can Dm CHave you watched his eyes when he deals your cards Dm CDo you know the other players in his life Dm CHave you ever seen the bones his closet holds F GDo you watch him when he sharpens his knifeC F GHow many men do you think it takes to make a self made man C F2. Do you think you want to sit around and play a part F CIn the corner of his self made lifeC F CStand by his side patiently, and try to be his perfect little wife Dm CWill you tell him that he's done everything right Dm CAnd that he should never take the blame Dm CFor the people cast off and trampled on, F GJust because they got in his wayC F GHow many men do you think it takes to make a self made man Dm EmCho.: Don’t you wonder what he thinking when he holds your life Dm EmIn the palm of his money-stained hand Dm EmDon’t you wonder how long before you kick face down F GIn the place where you thought you used to standC F GHow many men do you think it takes to make a self made man C F C3. How many men do you think it takes to make a self made manC F CHow many people do you think he’ll use to do the best he can Dm CHow hard will you run with your hair falling back Dm CTo compete with a rolling stone Dm CAnd track him down at all of the ports F GThat he currently calls homeC F GHow many men do you think it takes to make a self made man Dm EmCho.: Don’t you wonder if you're not just another poor soul Dm EmThat helped to make a self made man Dm EmDon’t you wonder how long before you kick face down F GIn the place where you thought you used to standC F F GHow many men do you think it takesC F F GHow many men do you think it takesC F F GHow many men do you think it takesC F GHow many men do you think it takes to make a self made man