Jimmy Barnes new song ‘Shutting Down Our Town’ was written about his childhood town of Elizabeth in South Australia.
Jimmy co-wrote the song with Country star Troy Cassar-Daley. Troy started the song after reading Jimmy’s Working Class Boy book.
“I changed a couple of words just because of local knowledge, but it was 99.999% Troy’s song, and he played it to me and I immediately felt the connection,” Jimmy said.
“I drove through Elizabeth not long after I heard the song, and I felt a pain in my heart for the people there who are battling, trying to make a living when everything is stacked up against them.
“It’s sort of a heartland ‘Working Class Man’ anthem, but ‘Working Class Man’ was written by an American [Jonathan Cain]. This was written by somebody who feels the pain, and who’s writing about the darker side of Australia which I never wanted to face before. So it’s like the bookend to ‘Working Class Man’, but for me, it’s the real story.”
‘Shutting Down Our Town’ is from Jimmy’s upcoming 17th solo album ‘My Criminal Record’. It is also his first solo album of original songs in a decade.
“Now, I know why I’m singing it. I know why I’m feeling it. I know why I have to get it out now, and writing the books helped me identify it. I still sing about the same things, but now I know exactly what I’m singing about,” he says.
My Criminal Record will be released on 31 May 2019. It features songs co-written with Chisel’s Don Walker, The Living End’s Chris Cheney and Mark Lizotte.
My Criminal Record tracklist:
1. My Criminal Record
2. Shutting Down Our Town
3. I’m In A Bad Mood
4. Stolen Car (The Road’s on Fire) [Pt. I]
5. My Demon (God Help Me)
6. Working Class Hero
7. Belvedere And Cigarettes
8. I Won’t Let You Down
9. Stargazer
10. Money And Class
11. Stolen Car (The Road’s On Fire) [Pt. 2]
12. If Time Is On My Side
13. Tougher Than The Rest
14. Reckless Beauty – Deluxe Edition only
15. Waitin’ On A Plane – Deluxe Edition only
16. Tougher Than The Rest (Alternate Mix) – Deluxe Edition only
17. I’m In A Bad Mood (Bob Clearmountain Mix) – Deluxe Edition only
Jimmy recently completed season one of the Red Hot Summer tour.
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