When Wilco released a studio recorded cover of Woody Guthrie’s prescient “The Jolly Banker” a little while back, they offered three payment options to the recipient of the optionally free MP3: a suggested donation of $2 or more to the Woody Guthrie Foundation and Archives, a free download (provided you “make it up to [them] later”), or you could check the box next to this snarky bit: “I am/was a banker/hedge fund manager/credit default swap trader. I know times are tough, but I’m just fine thank you. (Suggested minimum donation $100.00)”
As it turns out, not everyone pretended to be “otherwise broke” and the band has raised $10,000 to date for the Guthrie archives. “Wilco’s decision to make it available online to raise some bucks for the Archives – and raise the bucks they have! – came as a total heart-warming surprise,” Guthrie’s daughter Nora posted on the official Wilco site. “In one fell download swoop, Wilco wiped the smirk off that Jolly Banker’s face and put the biggest smile on mine.”