Song of the Day 6/30: Todd Snider, “Can’t Complain”

Like his onetime mentor John Prine, Todd Snider’s songs, built from simple chords and clever lyrics, fall into a category between folk and country that the label “Americana” doesn’t quite capture. He’s been recording since 1994, but I only learned about him because Spotify informed me that, given my love for Prine, I’d probably like Snider, too. It was right.

Snider was in his 20s when Keith Sykes, a member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, discovered him playing in a Memphis bar. He soon went to work for Prine, first as an assistant, later as his opening act. He even signed with Prine’s Oh Boy! Records after a deal with MCA in the 1990s ended. This tune appeared on his last MCA album, 1998’s “Viva Satellite.”

Not all Snider’s compositions are so apolitical. This one encapsulates the Delaware Liberal ethos to a T. It first appeared on 2004’s “East Nashville Skyline,” which serves as a reminder that right-wing assholes have been with us since a time long before Donald Trump turned into a right-wing asshole.