“Homeless,” by Ylli Haruni
Not sure how I came up with the idea for a playlist on homelessness. Oh, yes, I do. After hearing Johnny Flynn’s song, “The Box.” He was the seed from which the playlist grew. Homelessness is real. It’s in your face every time you go out into a city street or travel through a neighborhood. Corporations are buying up homes, houses, apartments, vacant lots, and building dwellings that nobody who works for minimum wage will ever be able to afford. They jack the rents up and up regularly. Unless you want to cram into a studio apartment with several roommates you very well may end up homeless. In climates that don’t get too hot or too cold, you might survive it on the streets, but if you do live where there are temperature extremes, you are at significant risk of injury or death from Mother Nature. Aside from temperatures, the homeless are at risk for disease, hunger, predation from other homeless or malicious individuals looking for kicks, and of course from police harassment. The homeless oftentimes are struggling beyond the financial aspect, with mental health issues, drug addictions, etc. With homelessness you have to ask yourself which came first, the chicken or the egg. It’s always a combination of biology, psychology, and socioeconomic factors. When you are already compromised, finding stable housing can be a living nightmare.
Here are just a few songs I thought of that speak to the issue of homelessness. I’ve included a Spotify playlist and a list of the songs with links to YouTubes if you don’t have access to Spotify. PLEASE put any other songs you can think of about homelessness in the comment section and I will add them to the playlist.
Mr. Bojangles by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
King of the Road by Roger Miller
The Box by Johnny Flynn
Aqualung by Jethro Tull
The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello
Something in the Way by Nirvana
Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Streets of London – Ralph McTell
Tecumseh Valley by Townes Van Zandt
Snowblind Friend by Steppenwolf
The Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash
Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins
Subcity by Tracy Chapman
Ain’t Got No Home by Woodie Guthrie
Tao Talk 
Thats a great playlist. Mr. Bojangles has been a favorite of mine since I was a kid. King of the Road is another fave.
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Christine, thank you and those two are beloved for me also.
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I always worked in inner city schools so saw homelessness first hand. It is awful and with all of the empty buildings you think something could be done. Unfortunately, a lot of it is the trouble of upkeep. I’m not saying that homeless people can’t take care of places but historically so many of these people are transient and so don’t maintain places adequately. I saw a program once where this girl was homeless and she tried to get help but in the end chose to be homeless again because it was too hard to now have to think about housing, jobs, other people, etc. She said it was much easier to just worry day to day what she was going to eat or where she would sleep rather than all the other stuff.
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Christine, I appreciate you sharing these experiences. It is like compounded barriers for humans who aren’t at the top 10% of the population just to have food, clothing, and shelter. It is a SHAME when we watch our daily dose of Peyton Place of the Rich and Powerful while the rest of us are stomped on in one way or another.
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Thats like all the new Bachelor in Paradise shows or that one about the rich people’s children who decide to live in Manhattan. I think my daughter would go to Manhattan as a “sacrifice” if money was no object. Give me a break!
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Haven’t seen it, but I’ve seen plenty of spoiled rich kids in my day. It’s too bad they have overindulgent parents.
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Wonderful piece. I’ve had many acquaintances over the years question me on why I give my money to the homeless without much in the way of prompting. I’ve been in their shoes very briefly. I have so much. It can save a life for a day. That day may be the one they need most
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Thank you, Steve. I understand about giving to the homeless. Each one of us is closer to it than we imagine. The world feels like it is in crisis that is ratcheting up — except for the uber rich f*cks.
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Ira Hayse by Johnny Cash
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Thank you, Dwight. Added.
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Wonderful list! Mr. Bojangles STILL makes me tear up when his dog “up and died”…this one and Puff the Magic Dragon does that to me.
Never heard Tecmseh Valley before…such a beautiful song! I also love Snowblind Friend…Great great list!
I’ve seen it happen to some co-workers I had at one time…their problem though were drugs…both ended up dying.
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Max, very happy you like the list. I can’t believe you never heard Tecumseh Valley before. Steve Earle covers it on Train A Comin album. I’ve known a lot of people have drugs literally drain the life right out of them. I consider all mind altering substance, including alcohol, as drugs. I had an alcoholic co-worker come to our morning staff meeting drunk! This woman got more chances before they fired her than anyone I know. She had to really work at getting fired.
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I’ll check Earle’s version out. The song hit me right away. I worked at a wood shop in my early 20s and the whole place was a drug bin…I knew I had to get out or I would be there with them. I can’t say I never did any…no street drugs but drugs are drugs. Xanax and things like that were all over the place. I finally did and it probably saved me from a bad or worse time.
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Max, I can see why so many musicians end up getting on drugs, when they are immersed in a drug culture. Like you playing in bars, if not the pills and powders, the alcohol, which is a drug, would be easy to fall into. I am very glad you got out of those places of temptation.
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Yea…alchohol never held an appeal to me…I’ve drank one beer this year….that was at the Bob and Willie concert AND it was 95 lol…but pills…different story so yes…it’s good that I’m out of it.
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One beer a year, sounds like my sons. I read/heard something the other day that had me shaking my head. For years I’ve been reading that a glass of wine a day is good for you (for the reasons) but the other day it warned against it. Funk dat. I’m not a wine drinker at all but it’s fermented and it’s made from friggin fruit. How harmful could it be to have a glass a day?
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Yea I agree…I’m not a wine drinker ever but moderation…I don’t see anything wrong with it either.
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Being homeless must be incredibly tough. Thinking of related songs is something that never occurred to me. I didn’t realize Mr. Bojangles, Aqualung and Under the Bridge are about homelessness. I’ve always loved Ralph McTell’s “Streets of London.”
I guess another example would be “Another Day in Paradise” by Phil Collins.
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Christian, that’s the way I see the songs, maybe you see them differently? I will add the Collins song, thanks for the suggestion.
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Thank you for calling attention to part of the plight of the voiceless, whom society just wants to avoid seeing and thinking about. We are all closer to it than we think.
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You are welcome, Steve, and yes.
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Woody Guthrie – Ain’t Got No Home, Subcity – Tracy Chapman. What a grand mess all politicians are responsible for.
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Thanks for the tunes, Paul. It’s the politicians, yes, but it’s also the f*ckers who keep voting them into office. I’m out of patience.
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We’re all human https://invisiblymisdiagnosed.com/2025/10/10/camp-loveland-reveals-systemic-targeting-of-lovelands-most-vulnerable/
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Protyus, I just went to your blog and saw it is focused on Loveland. Is that Loveland, CO? I just searched for Loveland homeless and found a YT on the mayor letting the unhoused spend the night in City Hall a couple of days ago?
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She sure did, and yes it is. She made a statement last night at the City Council Meeting. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BWj4yz4Ns/
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I don’t have fb, so I can’t see it.
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