Eurocrisis

Will Greece leave the Euro and return to the Doosra?

This was the question that was on no-one's lips at the Eurocrisis Song Contest that was played out in Azerbaijan last night.

There appears little to interest the cricketer in Azerbaijan, and none of the entries the Song Contest had a cricketing theme.  Englebert Humperdinck is not a cricketer and it showed in his performance.  And while FB applauds Russia's challenge to age discrimination in fielding a batting line up of toothless grannies, he could not find the incentive to watch them strut their stuff.  In any case the attraction of Euro finals is not what it was for FB since these days they all seem to end in a penalty shoot.  And FB does not enjoy penalty shoot outs.

Loreen - brought the Eurocrisis to Sweden

Every nation tried hard to lose this contest in case they faced the expense of having to stage the next one - or so it seemed from the entries.  Britain made it very safe by finishing second last, one point ahead of Norway the traditional nul pointers.  There doesn't appear to be relegation from this league, more's the pity.  But somewhere had to win and it was Sweden's misfortune last night

Not only was none of the entries about cricket, but none was about the Eurocrisis. It is not as if financial issues are not fit subjects for song writers so they could have tried harder.  Since FB thinks it is time for another list, here is FB's First XI of songs that tell us why the Eurocrisis is happening:

You Never Give Me Your Money - The Beatles
Take the Money and Run - Steve Miller Band
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Money - Pink Floyd
Money Money Money - Abba
Money (That's What I Want) - The Beatles (and many others)
We're in the Money - The Cast of 42nd Street
Money Money Money - Liza Minelli and Joel Grey from Cabaret
Brass In Pocket - The Pretenders
Baby You're a Rich Man - The Beatles

Some of these have more to say on the present situation than others, but perhaps the song which best sums up the roots of the crisis is FB's final choice and last man at the crease:

The Song of Supply and Demand - Bertholt Brecht and Hans Eisler

The song was written in 1930 for the play Die Massnahme (The Measures Taken) and is sung by a Chinese rice merchant who explains the operations of a market economy in its most brutal form.  A fitting entry for the contest.