Music Friday: "10,000 Chinese Walk Into a Bar"

The first time I remember hearing about Robert Earl Keen is a reference to one of his shows in a Todd Snider song, perhaps his "Beer Run" tune. But I can't recall exactly. That's the way it goes.

Recently, I've bought a couple of his albums, so I'm awfully late to the party since REK has all kinds of albums. He's been a musician for a long time -- well established, in fact.

We drove back to central Illinois from northern Iowa this afternoon, which is why I'm late with my Music Friday post. I listened to the the song below from The Rose Hotel album on the drive home today, and it got me thinking about one of my past jobs.





I worked at my father's liquor store and also delivered liquor to bars around town -- all manner of bars, from the dives to the working class taverns, from the old time lodges to the soulless franchise restaurants.

In many of the bars and taverns I delivered booze to that had some character, you were likely to find some regulars who were barstool philosophers.

Keen's song provides the philosopher's point of view.