Though you may not drive a great big CadillacGangsta whitewallsTV antennas in the backYou may not have a car at allBut remember, brothers and sistersYou can still stand tallJust be thankful for what you got

Truer words, or sager advice, cannot be offered…on Thanksgiving Day or any other day.

In 1972 William DeVaughn, a drafting technician for the federal government and part-time singer, spent $900 of his own money under a development agreement to record a demo of a song then called ‘A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy’ which was subsequently recorded in an ultra-smooth arrangement featuring Philadelphia’s famed MFSB Group as ‘Be Thankful for What You Got.’ The 1974 release, often mistakenly attributed to Curtis Mayfield, went on to hit #1 on U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The straightforward and encouraging message hit home to the extent that it also became a regular on gospel radio stations.

Diamond in the back, sunroof topDiggin’ the sceneWith a gangsta lean, wooh-ooh-ooh

So, please enjoy this sublime three-and-a-half minute throwback groove – presented here with some of the absolute most Seventies-est scenery imaginable. And this Thanksgiving season let us all strive to remember DeVaughn’s simple and timeless wisdom, difficult as it may sometimes be to do: be thankful for what you got.

Happy Thanksgiving, all.