Merle Hazard
Merle Hazard in 2013
Merle Hazard in 2013
Background information
Birth nameJonathan A. Shayne[1]
Born1961
OriginNashville, U.S.
GenresCountry music, novelty, satire
Years active2007 (2007)–present
Websitemerlehazard.com

Merle Hazard (born Jonathan A. Shayne) is an American satirist known for penning and performing country songs about unconventional topics, including economics, atonal music, and physics. Shayne started releasing music as Merle Hazard in 2007, his stage name a pun on the economic phenomenon moral hazard and the country singer Merle Haggard. In 2009, the Nashville Business Journal dubbed him "the 'Weird Al' of Wall Street."[2]

Career

In the summer of 2007, Hazard gained internet fame for his first single, "H-E-D-G-E," a song about uninsured loss inspired by Tammy Wynette's 1968 single “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.”[3] The song's homemade music video, which featured Hazard in rented cowboy duds, spread on YouTube and various financial blogs. In November 2007, The New York Times called it "the only country song about the subprime meltdown and its effects on the global credit markets."[4][3]

Since Hazard's initial success, he has released over a dozen songs, most of which deal with economics and other academic themes.[5] Hazard has performed live several times, including at events hosted by Bloomberg and the American Economic Association.[6][7] A number of prominent economists have shared or commented on Hazard's songs, including Greg Mankiw, Simon Johnson, Kenneth Rogoff, Arthur Laffer, John B. Taylor, and Paul Krugman.[8][9][10][11]

"I like poking fun at the Fed in my songs, but actually, I respect them and think they have a nearly impossible job," Hazard told Axios in 2021.[12]

In 2019, Hazard released "(Gimme Some of That) Ol' Atonal Music," which explores music theory and atonality in its lyrics.[13] New Yorker music critic Alex Ross dubbed it "song of the year."[14] The single features Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Alison Brown as banjo soloist and producer; The Washington Post has referred to Brown as "one of the leading five-string banjo players in the country."[13]

Personal life

Shayne's father was an advertising executive and businessman who did not write music, although he did sing with Tom Lehrer during graduate school.[13] Shayne studied philosophy at Harvard College where he wrote for The Harvard Lampoon with Conan O'Brien.[4] Shayne took a year off from his undergraduate studies to enroll in extension-division courses at the Mannes School of Music in New York; he also played in a pop band called "The Young Nashvillians."[13] He later received a Juris Doctor degree from Vanderbilt University.[3]

Shayne works as a money manager at Shayne & Co., LLC in Nashville, Tennessee, which he opened in 1995.[15] The boutique investment firm managed $120 million as of 2007.[3] He is married to Ann Shayne, a writer, with whom he has two sons.[13]

Discography

Singles[16]

Title Year Album
H-E-D-G-E 2007
In The Hamptons 2007 Tough Market
Green With Envy 2008
Mark to Market 2009 Tough Market
Inflation or Deflation? 2009
Old Time Recession 2009
Double Dippin' 2010 Tough Market
The Ballad of Diamond Jim 2011 Tough Market
German Song 2011 Tough Market
Italian Song 2011 Tough Market
Fiscal Cliff 2012 Tough Market
The Great Unwind 2013 Tough Market
Dual Mandate[17] 2014 Tough Market
How Long (Will Interest Rates Stay Low) 2016 Tough Market
Dave's Song 2018
(Gimme Some of That) Ol' Atonal Music 2019
The Fed Is Watching The Market 2021
Executive Privilege 2022
Time With You 2022

References

  1. ↑ "DUAL MANDATE". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Financial advisor tackles meltdown with alter ego". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Applebome, Peter (November 18, 2007). "Funny Songs Are Inspired by Sad Times for the Rich". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "'Merle Hazard' sings the hedge-fund blues - USATODAY.com". usatoday30.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  5. ↑ Hazard, Merle. "Songs and Videos". www.merlehazard.com. Merle Hazard. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ Odd Lots Podcast, Bloomberg. "Merle Hazard, America's Country-Singing Economist". YouTube. Bloomberg Television. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ Hazard, Merle. "Merle Hazard at the 2010 AEA Convention". YouTube. Merle Hazard. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ Mankiw, N. Gregory. "The Latest from Merle Hazard". Greg Mankiw's Blog. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ Solman, Paul (August 9, 2013). "Is the Fed's 'Great Unwind' a Non-event or the Chickens Finally Coming Home to Roost?". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ Solman, Paul (January 27, 2010). "Country Crooner Merle Hazard Sings the Recession Blues". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ Krugman, Paul (March 14, 2023). "How Bad Was the Silicon Valley Bank Bailout?". The New York Times. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ Rabouin, Dion (March 8, 2021). "Country-singing economist drops new music video". Axios. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Perspective | Who would've thought a bluegrass spoof of atonal music would take off on YouTube?". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  14. ↑ Ross, Alex. "Song of the year". Alex Ross: The Rest Is Noise. Alex Ross. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  15. ↑ Nelson, Brett (October 31, 2012). "Where The Cheap Stocks Are—Come Hell Or High Water". Forbes. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Songs-and-Videos". www.merlehazard.com. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  17. ↑ "The Fed's dual mandate in song: it's 'harder than you'll ever know'". PBS NewsHour. October 29, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
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