If you’re ready to go another round with HMRC, you’ll know that doing your tax return can be about as much fun as playing slinky in a bungalow. So, here at MileIQ, we thought we’d spice things up a little with a topical playlist to keep you motivated.
Music to play while working on your taxes
This playlist is the perfect thing to listen to when you’re slogging through your taxes. We’ve included Spotify links to these songs but you can easily find most of these on your preferred streaming service. We’ve compiled a Spotify playlist for you here.
Where else could we begin? The Beatles had it right. Released in 1966 at the height of the Fab Four’s earning power, The taxman has an important message for all of us.
‘If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.’
Swedish supergroup Abba knew a thing or two about cash. Only active for ten years, they sold an astonishing 381 million albums and singles globally. The total net worth of the four members is estimated at £230m in music sales, rights, concerts and tribute tours. Released in 1976, the song peaked at number three in the UK singles chart.
Money for nothing comes from Dire Straits’ 1985 album Brothers in arms. The lyrics are reputed to be the words actually spoken by an appliance-store employee complaining about his lot. The video was the first ever to air on MTV Europe.
Back in 1966, The Kinks had a beef about the UK’s sudden hike in tax rates. Sunny afternoon was the creative result.
‘The taxman’s taken all my dough
And left me in this stately home
Lazing on a sunny afternoon
And I can’t sail my yacht
He’s taken everything I got
All I’ve got’s this sunny afternoon."
In Movin’ Out, Billy Joel bemoans the futility of working hard for a living just to ‘play on the sand with your overtime’ or to buy ‘a house out in Hackensack’. Billy’s particularly ticked off that, for all the hours we amass, the government continues to help itself. Billy’s had it up to here. He’s movin’ out.
Jimi Hendrix despised the U.S. IRS with every fibre of his being. On Tax Free, he doesn’t even need to sing any words for his angst to come through. This is one very angry instrumental.
The Steve Miller Band’s Take the money and run is a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style ballad about thieves Billy Joe and Bobbie, on the run after refusing to cough up to the taxman. Detective Billy Mack steps up, though, to extract restitution at gunpoint.
In Success story, The Who have a bee in their bonnet about paying taxes. It’s about an aspiring musician who makes it big but then gets bored.
‘Away for the weekend
I’ve gotta play some one-night stands
Six for the taxman
One for the band.’
Finally, in the interests of balance, a song that’s that rare bird: a paean of support for the taxman.
Yes, the boot’s on the other foot here. In Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1969 hit Fortunate son, the taxman’s the good guy. John Fogerty complains loudly about the well-off who hide their wealth from the state.
Well, we didn’t make filing your tax return any easier, but at least we made it harmonious.
