Because the album that represents The Ghost of Tom Joad recording sessions is so serious and earnest, we tend to characterize that entire period as such.
But for all of the socially conscious material that made it on to the album, there were the misfits that were left by the wayside. “Tiger Rose,” for example, was an adulterous rockabilly farce; Bruce ended up giving it away to Sonny Burgess. “I’m Turning Into Elvis” was a parody on the surface but belied some lurking sub-basement insecurity.
And then there were the songs reputedly (and self-reportedly) written along the tour, during those long flights and lonely hotel nights. “Pilgrim in the Temple of Love” is the best-known of these, probably because of its racy subject matter. But “Sell It and They Will Come” came first–in fact, Bruce used the same melody for both, which is probably why Bruce never played them both on the same night, even though he played both throughout the tour.
Here’s Bruce describing the song’s genesis just before he debuted it in Detroit in January 1996:
As for the song itself… well, one could argue that it’s at least as socially conscious as the rest of the Joad material, just in a different fashion. Depending on the night and the delivery, it was either an homage to, lament of, or apology for American infomercials. And although the song has so many pop culture references that it now sounds as dated as “I’m a Rocker,” the song is as relevant now as it was then.
Let’s take a listen. Here’s one of the clearest recordings of “Sell It and They Will Come,” from Hamburg on February 17, 1997:
Okay, so it’s not among Bruce’s best work; I don’t think Bruce would claim it to be. But it lightened up an otherwise mostly sober setlist. And while the song doesn’t invite (or warrant) particularly deep analysis, let’s take a closer look anyway.
But first, a warning: although I promised never to have ads on this site, today’s going to be an exception: it’s tough to discuss a song about infomercials without sharing a few of the examples that inspired the artist. (Just please don’t buy these products.)
Well, I fell asleep on the couch last night, and I woke up with the TV on
There was a woman in tight cotton exercise shorts and some big plastic machine she was climbing on
She said “The Abacycle guarantees ten inches off your waist, and 50 pounds in just three minutes a day”
I went to bed knowing the revolution had been postponed and everything was okay
You can try it, you can buy it, it’ll help you in bed, but don’t be fooled, folks: there’s only one
I forget that guy’s name, but somebody said, “Sell it and they will come, boys, sell it and they will come”
Well, I switched the channels and there was Evel Knievel, I thought that he was dead
I found myself sitting there quietly, hanging on each and every word that he said
And he said “Now folks, the Stimulator removes all pain from your life, and the best day of your life will be when you try this little device out”
The camera moved in as he said, “Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen: pain’s something old Evel knows a little bit about”
As far as I know, the products and pitchmen Bruce refers to in the song are real–no names have been changed to protect the innocent. But if the Abacycle was a real thing (and if that’s even how it was spelled), it’s lost to history and it somehow escaped my context window at the time.
But the Stimulator… that was indeed a thing:
If the Stimulator looks like the igniter for an outdoor grill, that’s because it basically is. You used it (if you bought it) to zap yourself and essentially tase the pain away. What could go wrong?
By the end of the Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, the FDA had shut down the operation, but for a while during the mid-nineties, those infomercials were everywhere.
Well, then a fellow comes on shouting “Free haircuts for life!”
Somehow you cut your hair with your vacuum cleaner
And then I switched channels, and there was Dionne Warwick, communing with her psychic friends
I watched for hours, taking warmth, comfort, and pleasure in things that I despise
Touched by how much they needed me and that desperation in their eyes
Ah, the Flowbee. That was (and is) a real thing, too. It’s still being sold today, but I’m not about to link to it. I will, however, share this demonstration:
And Dionne Warwick? Bruce wasn’t talking about her actual friends, he was referring to the organization known as the Psychic Friends Network. Their infomercials ran for many years, but here’s the one that was likely playing during Bruce’s solo acoustic tour:
You can try it, you can buy it, it’ll help you in bed, but don’t be fooled folks: there’s only one
I forget that guy’s name but somebody said, “Sell it and they will come, boys, sell it and they will come”
So to Dionne, Cher, and all my late-night friends: I drink to your health
And Tony Little, America’s personal trainer, please kill yourself
Cher? Yes, the iconic performer hosted some Lori Davis hair product infomercials in the mid-nineties:
…and as for Tony Little: Why was Bruce so harsh, and why did that line get such applause? Well, imagine seeing this guy all over your television late at night:
At least Bruce was honest enough to confess to his own hypocrisy, both in hawking his own wares and perhaps the real reason he found himself unable to switch off the TV:
Now, I’ve sold a few things myself in my time, and by the way folks, there’s some t-shirts on your way outside
Well, last night I dreamed of lipstick and tight little cotton shorts. “Harder, faster”, she whispered in my ear… “One, two, three, four, five…” Ride, Sally, ride girl! Ride, Sally, ride!
He also seemed unable to stop himself from sharing his late-night fascination with fans: Bruce performed “Sell It and They Will Come” mid-set a whopping thirty-six times in 1996, perhaps because it was one of the few tools he had to lighten the mood in what would be a seriously somber setlist otherwise.
By the time Bruce embarked on another acoustic tour almost a decade later, he’d figure out the right balance of serious and silly. That’s probably why he hasn’t played his ode to infomercials ever since.
Sell It and They Will Come
Never recorded
Never released
First performed: January 10, 1996 (Detroit, MI)
Last performed: December 6, 1996 (Birmingham, AL)
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