The Financial Issue

Running Up that Hill
Written By Jeff Lehman

ISSUE #202

If you enjoy reading and listening to Earwyrms—and you have the means to do so—please consider donating to support the writing. Click the tab at the top of the page or the footer button to donate. Every little bit helps!

Even $1 from each of my subscribers could get me three meals a day for weeks. If there’s room in your pocket for a dollar more, I’ll be able to run Earwyrms forever!

Earwyrms launched on April 20, 2018 to an audience of one romantic partner, a few former roommates, and a handful (about 20) wonderful friends. Four years later, our subscriber list boasts a few more former roommates, one mother, many (many) wonderful friends, and a few strangers who I’m sure are the #1 favorite person on the lists of everyone they meet.

Our beginnings were three years before most major writers took their newsletters to the simple subscription model of Substack. I never made the move. I was always nervous about demanding a subscription fee. Maybe it’s the farmer in me, maybe it’s because I believe life’s pleasures should be free—and music and writing are nothing if not life’s unique and renewable pleasures.

But now, asking for donations is necessary. I just wanted to introduce the option. Everyone is struggling with gas prices, everything is tight with inflation, but if you find yourself enjoying an issue, I’ve made a page on the website and a button in the footer for any generous soul who wishes to do so. You’d be helping the little guy! And more resources lead to better playlists and liner notes.

Here are some of this week's fun, new songs. One of them is a return from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs(!) and features the Prince of Earwyrms, Perfume Genius. One is the bizarre team-up of Pharrell Williams and 21 Savage. Some of them are definitely about money. All of them sound pretty great, I think.

Next week, look forward to the Best Songs of 2022 So Far—and this has been a brilliant year so far, musically. And, most of all, thank you for listening.

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Running Up that Hill
The Financial Issue
Running Up that Hill

I was always nervous about demanding a subscription fee. Maybe it’s the farmer in me, maybe it’s because I believe life’s pleasures should be free—and music and writing are nothing if not life’s unique and renewable pleasures.

Running Up that Hill
Running Up that Hill
Lenox Maul and the Atlanta Roller Derby
Running Up that Hill

My friend recently became my roommate, which means I now live with a skater for the Atlanta Roller Derby team—a phrase I would say to my younger self within the first hour of time traveling just to see him smile.

Running Up that Hill
Running Up that Hill
Season’s Cleanings
Running Up that Hill

This week's playlist was made to put on when you're cleaning the house. The whole thing revolves around a driving pulse, a specific BPM that rhymes with your work. It's a metronome made to match with your broom and a back-up chorus to keep you pushing along.

Running Up that Hill
Running Up that Hill
Bright Lights, Big City
Running Up that Hill

These are songs that paint an impressionist's portrait of the big city, something I've been living in a lot lately and can't stop thinking about. I could die any day on these streets, mainly because of these cars everyone’s always driving around (and me, I’m one of the worst culprits).

Running Up that Hill
Running Up that Hill
Run!
Running Up that Hill

My own personal exercise preference is running. It's the only arena of my life where I can set goals and actually achieve them, week-in and week-out, without failure.

Running Up that Hill
Running Up that Hill
Light is Constant
Running Up that Hill

You can think of it as a soundtrack to Gilead, but it's probably more apt to think of them as worship songs for non-believers. Not that you are all non-believers, but I find it's safer to assume a lack of faith than a preponderance of it. People get a little touchy about the subject.

Running Up that Hill
Jeff Lehman
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The Best Songs of 2022 So Far
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The Drums