23. Crying Over Money by John Wallace

Originally published August 2nd, 2024

About the Artist.

About the artist? Now that’s a question. So, I like to do my own research when writing the biographies. Sometimes, I ask for a little bit of information. Sometimes, it’s provided to me when people ask about the process for submitting music to be reviewed. But, as any journalist would say, I pride myself on the skip tracing aspect of it. It shows I know how to research and it gives the subject an opportunity to get a genuine insight into how they’re perceived. Well, John Wallace, you sir, are an enigma.

John Wallace was born in the United States. Somewhere. In. The. United. States. I don’t get the impression he has been there for quite some time. What I can say is that it certainly seems Wallace has been a world traveler for much of his life. It seems as though he has lived in China, and he may be currently residing in Hamburg, Germany. I’m not sure and, honestly, I didn’t ask because the mystery is really intriguing. It adds to the atmosphere of his music, but we’ll get to that later.

When one travels the world, it is implied they have aquired stories along the journey. This can be assumed here as well. “The stories of my life are many and varied. Come along with me to see where I’ve been and we can figure out where I am going together.” There is no question that Wallace is a philisophical man, for he also says, “I have looked in from the outside of the culture that is mine. I have looked out from the inside of a culture that will never be mine.” These are quotes from his most intriguing biography on Spotify. 

It seems as though Wallace has performed in Hamburg, Germany as recently as March. But there is nothing definite on where he is. There are no clues as to where he is going. John Wallace is the new International Man of Mystery except he dresses better, takes proper care of his dental hygiene, grows a stunning beard, and he’s not a spy. Or is he? We can all make some discoveries along the way as we are introduced to John Wallace and his song, Crying Over Money

Crying Over Money

This new single by Wallace released on July 26th, and has a run time of four minutes and forty-five seconds. The best part about this song is that it adds to the mystique. Crying Over Money is about as authentic of a country song as a a country song can get. This doesn’t sound like he simply performed the song. This sounds like he woke up in a log cabin, walked out into the forest, chopped down a tree, carved the wood, sanded the wood, built a guitar, grabbed an old tool and melted it into molten steel, fabricated the six strings and hardware, strung it up, and THEN he didn’t write the song. He just started playing and this is what came out. This sounds as cowboy as any Texan, as country as any Nashvillian, and as bluegrass as any Appalachian-born Kentuckian. It has the soul of a thousand folk songs before it and it relates to every single person who struggle to find their way as members of a middle to lower class society. 

The Music

Musically, this song is organic and it is stripped down. It features an acoustic rhythm guitar, a simple acoustic lead during instrumental breaks, and for percussion, a very subtle tambourine. Vocally, the song features John Wallace. Just him and all of him. It is a ballad; there is no complicated strum pattern or chord progression. Anybody who knows a little bit about a guitar could play this song and not one person could play it like him.

Vocally, Wallace is a true baritone. He doesn’t try to explore with range or experiment with the melody. He sticks to keeping the true authenticity of the song. He almost deliberately sounds occasionally pitchy, which only magnifies the emotional complexities of the song.

The Lyrics

Lyrically, this song is relatable to most of the world. “Have you ever been down so long you carry a mountain on your back. And the sun that shines don’t shine for you. You’ve never even see where it’s at.” Wallace tells a story of how sometimes it feels like there are no breaks to be had. 

The chorus gets a little more specific and has less analogy: “Give me some provision I got some bills to pay. I’ve got expenses stacking up and never enough to save. If you give me a dollar, it only pays for yesterday. Lord, I’m tired of crying when I give it away.”

The story he tells is exhaustingly pleading. Wallace is telling us a story that has been told throughout time and yet, he tells it in a way that is still interesting. He’s not introducing anything technically new but it is emotionally relevant. 

Final Thoughts

Look. Country music isn’t for everybody. I personally love traditional country. My father raised me on it. I lost my father in 2019. He spent his entire life wanting to be a country singer and then a songwriter. He was so driven that, at 50 years old, he packed his family up and moved us from New Bern, North Carolina to Nashville in 1993. I remember one day he came home after pitching some of his songs and he sadly stated that a producer had told him his songs “would have been a hit 40 years ago.” I think that should have made him proud. To John Wallace, I want you to know that my father would have greatly enjoyed your music. 

I could have done more research before writing this review. I’m sure if I would have insisted on digging deeper or reached out to John, I could have provided a little bit more of an educated background of who John Wallace is. As I was listening to his song, I was reading about him. As I continued to listen to his music, I realized not actually knowing was better suited. Though John Wallace is a real person; whether he’s residing in America, Germany, or China, John Wallace is you. And John Wallace is me. He has done a justice with his music. I can only hope, wherever he is, his loyal servant, the guitar, stays right by his side. Because the spirit of his song lives in all of us. And our spirits in him. I don’t know much about John Wallace. I do know one thing: I hope he keeps singing.