Folk music and property rights

Russell Roberts asks the musical question:

Where is the song that captures some inspiring aspect of economics from a Hayekian perspective?

There are plenty of them, Russell. One aspect of Hayekian economics is the emphasis upon the importance of property rights. And lots of folk songs express this view, by lamenting the violation of such rights.

For example, there’s Johnny Cash’s Ballad of Ira Hayes (all proper country music is folk music):

Down the ditches for a thousand years

The water grew Ira's peoples' crops

'Till the white man stole the water rights

And the sparklin' water stopped…

Then Ira started drinkin' hard

Jail was often his home

This is perfectly Hayekian; the destruction of property rights has bad but unforeseeable consequences.

Similarly, in English folk music there are songs supporting property owners against theft, in the form of Enclosure Acts. Here’s Gerrard Winstanley’s Digger Song:

The gentrye are all round, on each side they are found,

Theire wisdom's so profound, to cheat us of our ground

Stand up now, stand up now.

Water and land are not the only property rights defended by folk music; there’s also the right to one’s free labour. In English folk, many songs support this principle against the depredations of navy pressgangs. Kate Rusby’s Cruel is probably the best known of these. One of my favourites is The Victory, as recorded The Halliard:

Thirteen of that cursed gang did my true love surround

And one of the pressing crew lay bleeding on the ground.

My love was overpower’d though he fought most manfully

Til he was obliged to yield and go on the Victory…

In the battle of Trafalgar, the Victory cleared the way,

And my love was slain with Nelson upon that day.

I’m only scratching the surface here. But the point’s made. Many folk songs do celebrate a key aspect of Hayekian economics.

Why don’t Hayekians appreciate this? Here’s my theory. Many so-called Hayekians – and I exclude Russell here – aren’t really interested in free markets and property rights at all. They just use these as ideological figleafs with which to defend existing privileges. They don’t want to be reminded that those privileges rest upon the theft and violence of primitive accumulation.

And I haven’t mentioned slavery…

Comments

[Chris Brooke]

Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" addresses violations of property rights and the failure of planning owing to unforeseen consequences, all in one song.

http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/cash-johnny/one-piece-at-a-time-2214.html

[dearieme]

Fats Waller: The Joint is Jumpin' - disparages the freeloader and argues against using or threatening violence to undermine the market.

Check your weapon at the door
Be sure to pay your quarter
Burn your leather on the floor
Grab anybody's daughter.

[Jack]

Is there any American folk music about squatters rights?

[Innocent Abroad]

IIRC that Fats Waller song ends

We're all bums when the wagon comes!
Don't give your right name, oh no...

[Chris Bertram]

"Ira Hayes" was written by Peter LaFarge, btw.

[ManBearPig]

Johnny Cash's "One Piece at a Time" addresses violations of property rights and the failure of planning owing to unforeseen consequences, all in one song