My Gen X Playlist – I Fought the Law – The Clash

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s not a good thing. Before I ever heard of the acronym, I experienced it once and it didn’t turn out well. Now it doesn’t help that I was looking for an escape hatch from my long hours and stress. And I’m also going to blame it on my youth. I was in my early thirties. That’s still a youngin, in my book. So there are all my disclaimers.

A good friend introduced me to an investment opportunity. His Uncle Steve invested on the ground floor of an energy company and had been receiving royalty checks for over a year. Big checks. My buddy was offering me the opportunity to buy in. No pressure. He was already investing based upon his Uncle Steve’s recommendation. I did my due diligence. It sounded legit. Plus his Uncle Steve was collecting checks. I’m in.

Long story short, it was a Ponzi scheme and I lost my investment. It wasn’t an earth shattering amount, but it was enough to make a thirty-something cringe. It turns out I was very small potatoes. I later learned that some investors lost up to a million dollars. Whoa. In addition to his investment, my buddy lost friendships over this. I never blamed him for it going south. I’m the one who ultimately made the final call. Nobody put a gun to my head and I was a little blinded by FOMO. I always held the attitude that this was sunk money when I wrote the check. So when it went belly up, I was already prepared for this potential outcome.

The con artist was convicted by the Department of Justice, sentenced to six years in prison and later paroled after three. Earlier this week I received a letter from the DOJ that he was once again convicted of swindling more victims in another shady scheme and he’s going back to prison for another four years. Man, some people stay on that crooked path.

As for me, I’m able to look back and laugh at it now. My friend is still my friend and I had the sour taste of FOMO. Ponzi scheme. C’mon, really? Definitely added a little color to my life.

The Clash covered the 1960’s hit I Fought the Law. This song seemed appropo given the recent rearrest of the con man.

This was written by Sonny Curtis, who was a member of The Crickets (Buddy Holly’s group). The Crickets recorded it shortly after Buddy Holly’s death in 1959 and released it on their 1960 album ‘In Style With The Crickets’. If Holly had lived, there’s a good chance it would have been a huge hit for The Crickets.

The Clash recorded this in 1979 after they heard [it] . . . on a jukebox. They made the song more bleak, changing the line, “I left my baby” to “I killed my baby.” Their version got them noticed in America, where the song was released on July 26th, 1979

– Songfacts

Breakin’ rocks in the hot sun. I fought the law and the law won

– The Clash

Breaking rocks in the hot sun. I’d like to think that that’s his fate. It makes a good story and makes me feel a little bit better at the same time. He fought the law and the law won.

–

For a complete playlist, please click here.

For the Spotify playlist, please click here.

Breakin' rocks in the hot sun
I fought the law and the law won [x2]
I needed money 'cause I had none
I fought the law and the law won [x2]

I left my baby and it feels so bad
Guess my race is run
She's the best girl that I ever had
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the

Robbin' people with a six-gun
I fought the law and the law won [x2]
I lost my girl and I lost my fun
I fought the law and the law won [x2]

I left my baby and it feels so bad
Guess my race is run
She's the best girl that I ever had
I fought the law and the law won
I fought the law and the

I fought the law and the law won [x7]
I fought the law and the