Album: Be Thankful for What You Got (1974)

I promise you that you’ve heard, at some point or another, the infamous chorus of this song:

Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin’ the scene with a gangsta lean, woo-who-ooooooh

William DeVaughn wrote this song back when he was a government worker, and it was originally called “A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy”.  The story behind the song is more intriguing, in my opinion, than the track itself.  He spent about a thousand bucks to get it recorded in Philadelphia with Omega Sound.

I said it was a more intriguing story to me, not a long – or even great – one.  I don’t feel like doing the math for how much a thousand dollars in 1974 would equate to now in 2014, but I’m going to assume that it was quite a bit, especially for a single song.  The song itself sold a million though, so it was a worthwhile investment.

If it seems like I’m harping on the financial aspect of the music, it’s because it almost stands in contrast with the simplistic nature and content of the music.  We often hear that we should be more humble or more appreciative, less entitled and less jerky.  All of these ideals are introduced in the first two lines of the song.  At what point do we define success and greatness by what we possess?  Who cares if you drive a great big Cadillac?

“Be Thankful” is a special kind of track that doesn’t dwell in metaphors or poetic language.  It couldn’t be more direct.  The vibe is easy going, the lyrics are easy to digest and the repetition is almost insulting.  That takes nothing away from the song: the song is amazing in how motivational and soul stirring it is, but like I said earlier: the story behind it is more intriguing.  By spring of ’74 it sold nearly two million copies, stood at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the U.S. R&B charts, and even found a home in the top fifty on to United Kingdom charts.  It was yet another track influenced and, likely, confused with a Curtis Mayfield song, and it was so sickly sweet in positivity that it was on gospel stations.  Success, and it led to DeVaughn leaving his government job.

DeVaughn’s album, which had the same name as the track we’re speaking of, may not have been necessarily spiritual, but the vibe was the same as the title track itself, and in concerts he took to preaching as well as singing.  It should come as no surprise that he lost interest in music shortly after “Be Thankful”, and it all led back to working in a record store.  Amazing how things more or less go full circle.

At the same time, I think it’s a little poetic.  At 66 years old now, I think Mr. DeVaughn has to be a humble old soul, and if nothing else that shines through with this song.  There isn’t much to say about it so much as to wax nostalgic over.  We may not drive a great big Cadillac, or even drive a car at all, but what does that matter when we can still stand tall?