On this Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful for so many things, I can’t even begin. Today’s Spin is my favorite song about being grateful and I play it every year on Thanksgiving.
William DeVaughn – Be Thankful For What You Got
William DeVaughn was a government draftsman who sang on the side in Washington, D.C. In 1972, he wrote a song titled “A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy,” and decided to sink some money into recording it. He reworked the song somewhat, and went into the studio in Philadelphia to record it.
With a sound heavily influenced by Curtis Mayfield, the single “Be Thankful For What You Got” was released in 1974, and became a surprise hit. It went to number 1 on the R & B charts, number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and made it to number 44 on the UK Singles chart. Its simple and encouraging lyrics even made it a staple on gospel radio.
DeVaughn quit his government job, and released an album, Be Thankful For What You Got. The title track and follow up single, “Blood Is Thicker Than Water”, performed well on the charts, but DeVaughn soon became disenchanted with the music industry, eventually returning to work as a draftsman.
Thanks for you
I heard this song as a kid, but didn’t really connect to it until many years later. The groovy beat caught my ear one day, and the lyrics drove it all home:
“You may not have a car at all,
But remember, brothers and sisters,
You can still stand tall.
Just be thankful for what you got…”
Being thankful is one of those things that we don’t think about that often. We spend so many hours bemoaning the things we don’t have and taking our own gifts for granted, who has the time? I’ve been working on being thankful every day, and sometimes, it’s damn hard work. But once you start taking stock of all you have, you quickly realize just how fortunate you are. And suddenly, your soul feels a whole lot lighter.
Happy Thanksgiving, y’all. I am awfully thankful for you.