Facing the world ain’t easy when there isn’t anything going

Standing at the corner waiting watching time go by

Will I go to work today or shall I bide my time

So begins the Kinks’ song, “Get Back in Line,” one of the most hauntingly beautiful paeans to the forced idleness and stress of unemployment ever committed to tape.

I’ve turned to this song for solace, a little too often for comfort, but I’ve always been discomfited by the refrain that follows.