The Debt Collector is a libertarian musical set in the 1980s about a family named the Larks, their landlady, Mrs. Hauser, their social worker, Siren, and, in the title role, Blood, the debt collector hired by the landlady.
In the song “What Makes a Welfare Mother”, Lottie Lark, the mother of the family, laments her situation. She is both angry at how she is being treated and anxious about what might happen next. Victoria Trestrail’s warm, expressive voice is just right for this part. Listen to her sing, and then we’ll talk.
Composed by Daniel Carter and written by me, “What Makes a Welfare Mother” conveys Lottie’s anguish at being caught in the welfare trap. Welfare does not liberate her to do what she wants. Instead, it enslaves her to the state and makes her and her children subject to supervision, intervention and separation. In the end, it endangers the life of one of her children at the hands of a state worker.
This song appears in the third act of the play, when all the characters are a little bit more mellow, have stopped complaining about each other and are beginning to realize that if they don’t start to treat each other better, they will not be able to survive against the backdrop of a state that pits one person against another.
I look forward to hearing the next song in this series sung. It is called “Can You Forgive”, and it is about reconciliations.
Related Articles
https://www.pubwages.com/01/law-abiding-people-a-song-from-the-debt-collector
http://www.thisisfreelance.com/articles/a-song-from-the-debt-collector-law-abiding-people/
Very few people I have ever met wanted to go on welfare, and it was usually for reasons like this. I think yes we need something for when people fall on hard times, but even liberals such as myself would much prefer a emphasis on creating actual jobs, and making more things here in America again.
It is interesting to read more about your play though, and some how I visualize Siren as this young twenty-something social worker with red hair that is curly and really does not know much about the world. The description of your play also reminds of some scenes from the movie Claudine, where the family would have to hide appliances they found in the dumpster when the social worker came around. The appliances they found were thrown away by rich people, but the social worker would grill them about where they found these.
You’re right. Siren is twenty-something and knows very little about life. Though she is not the worker who endangers the child, she is instrumental in getting the child into the situation in which she is endangered.
When we fall on hard times, it is good to have neighbors we can count on — not to solve all our problems — but just to exchange goods and services that will keep our families going. This is a very real issue to many of us today.