OK OK It’s not a song. It’s a skit/play/dramedy. Performed in Chapel Hill, 2017.
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Newest first:
The 1st 12 Days of Biden
The possibly incoming President hasn’t specifically told me he doesn’t want my input on what to do in his first twelve days, so here he goes. Memo sent.
Vocals by Dave Lippman and Ellen Davidson
On his first day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Close the camps, set the families free
Close the camps, set the families free
On his second day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Get brokers to sell groceries
And fully fund recovery
On his third day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Rejoin Paris climate
Outlaw all fracking
Come on, act like you love the earth
On his fourth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Pass the Green New Deal
I know you oppose it
But the people want it
Do you want to save the planet or not?
On his fifth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Medicare for all
Even though you hate it, cause it’s, ugh, socialism
69% have said do it now
On his sixth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
End the endless wars
Why not start with Yemen
Cut your ties to Saudi royal
Petro-dollar fascist bums
Fuck their oil, buy yourself a windmill
On his seventh day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Fire all the cops who kill with guns and knees
End white supremacy (long day!)
Teach whites to appreciate the neighbors they’ve oppressed
De-segregate and pay what Black folks are owed
On his eighth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Rejoin the Iran nuclear deal
Everyone’s in, only we are out
They are not the prob
No BS-ing, stop aggressing
Empire is done
Put your hawkish right wing self behind you…and us
On his ninth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
End support for Israel’s
Settler colonial
Racist apartheid
Ethnic cleansing practice
Of genocide
Which is pretty much exactly what was done right here
By our founding fathers and their kids
On his tenth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Kill the electoral college
It was racist then, not much better now
Don’t gerrymander
Fund the post office
Abolish states rights
If you really truly want to see democracy
Then abolish the Senate as well
On his eleventh day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Rescind travel bans
Nationalize Facebook, Amazon and Google
Bankers go to prison, not into the cabinet
It’s time to issue
An Executive order
for those who don’t like science
and would rather kill us all
Take a walk off the edge of the Earth
On his twelfth day in the White House, the voters said to Joe
Federalize elections with rank choice voting
Split the Democrats so people have a party
Let the people in
From countries we’ve destroyed
and Mr Biden
Tear down this wall
Triple the Supreme Court so that Roe v Wade is safe
And stop smelling women’s hair
We Demand Democracy
At Uptown Manhattan victory demo, a freshly-minted song (with moldy oldy tune). Part of the song is here, and the rest is here:
Our democracy is permanently mired in distress
We are sick and tired of being sick and tired of this mess
Two party oligopoly that blocks out all the rest
Let’s end this system now
We are sick and tired of being sick and tired of this mess
Two party oligopoly that blocks out all the rest
Let’s end this system now
Cho:
Let’s democratize elections
We need voting right protections
Stop Suppression hate and greed
Choose rank choice voting, yes indeed
We demand democracy
We have fought to get the vote for blacks and women and ex-cons
They have tried to block us out, those white supremist devil’s spawns
They will fight to their last breath of their demographic death
But the people now are woke
Cho:
It is past time to acknowledge
We’re so over the electoral college
Supreme Court overhaul
And shut the Senate down y’all
We demand democracy
We will fight for rights of immigrants, for sure most of us are
To the killing of black youth by cops we must say au revoir
And a woman’s right to choose is not a thing you can refuse
We will go marching on
You have tried to kill the postal service, lied about the mail
You have deputized your brown shirts but it’s all to no avail
Even with Fox news your coup attempts and threats cannot prevail
Cause we are in the streets
Cho:
Solidarity forever
Forward ever, backward never
It’s the people who decide
It is time to turn the tide
We demand democracy
Please Mr. Boastman – live at Harlem Post Office
Democracy’s defender is the post office. Who knew? Yes, P.T. Trumpum wants
to stop voters by any means necessary. We all know there’s fraud in the White House, but who knew it was in the mail? The White House, that’s who.
Wait
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Mr Boastman called the post office a joke
I have to ask, what does he smoke?
He’d rather give our billions to Boeing
Sometimes we don’t know from which
Airhole he’s blowing
They made them pay retirement in advance
72 billion, they couldn’t finance
No other business could do that and survive
Then they hand us that privatizin’ jive
Post Office dates to 1775
Thanks to the blue your medicines will arrive
Will they destroy everything we do better
Or will democracy become a dead letter
They say use DHL and Fed Ex
The private sector is better than sex
But Fed Ex prices make poor folk nervous
And even Amazon uses the postal service
So many people have no bank account
They can’t afford the minimum amount
Insteada lettiin’ the post office tank
We really ought to have a postal bank
All these attacks are totally fake
It’s the unions that they want to break
They want to put democracy up for sale
And to be sure they hate vote by mail
The postal service is our crown jewel
Don’t let it be killed by this greedy fool
Please send the Congress,
The Congress a letter
Tell the reps that they could do better
Wait
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Before we are toast, man, look and see
Deliver de letter, no one does it better
End the Terror Now
John Brown acted in Solidarity – is that why the two songs are the same? Here’s a re-twist, updated for the present ongoing uprising, with a few suggestions for the disposition of the police problem.
In the cities and the villages
A gang disturbs the peace
They attack the darker people
And it never does decrease
They have weapons, they have badges
They are known as the police
Let’s end the terror now
A gang disturbs the peace
They attack the darker people
And it never does decrease
They have weapons, they have badges
They are known as the police
Let’s end the terror now
Glory glory let’s defund them
No small changes, just home-run them
They don’t serve, they don’t protect
So it’s high time we elect
To end the terror now
We have sought accountability, it never has worked out
We’ve relied on body cams that sometimes seem to fizzle out
Offered sessions in de-escalation they just yawn and pout
Racism marches on—–
They have taken untold black lives
For no cause but hate and fear
Of inequality they are
The sharp point of the spear
Now the people have awoken
And until justice is here
We will go marching on
Glory glory let’s disband them
We don’t mean to just re-brand them
Preserving order is their trust
But the order is unjust
Let’s end the terror now
In their hands is placed the power
To bring terror to the streets
Men must cower, women worry
Just as if the cops wore sheets
Their rule is illegitimate
We know, we’ve brought receipts
Let’s end the terror now-
We must organize society the way some folks have done
Building power from the neighborhoods would be a lot of fun
Fund the social needs and you will see that no one needs a gun
And the cops could get real jobs-
Glory, glory let’s disarm them
It is clear we cannot charm them
We don’t need these robo-cops
Executing traffic stops
Let’s end the terror now
Mental illness, family violence, yes and homelessness as well
Never should result in death dealt out by those sent to compel
Send a psych tech with a net, not trigger-happy personnel
Calm down the evening news
Glory, glory let’s replace them
Find the worst ones and deep space them
We’re not signing no more checks
To the Cop-prison complex
Let’s end the terror now
Please Mr. Boastman
The most popular government agency is under attack by the least popular demagogue ever. Hope that ends logically and well. Meanwhile, send him a postcard assuring him you are voting by mail. Because for those who get their news from twitter, here’s news: You can’t get your medicines by twitter. And why do they hate the P.O.? Well…whole lotta un-white peoples work there. And get security. Also, it’s not private, which makes it Communism.
Wait
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Mr Boastman called the post office a joke
I have to ask, what does he smoke?
He’d rather give our billions to Boeing
Sometimes we don’t know from which
Airhole he’s blowing
They made them pay retirement in advance
72 billion, they couldn’t finance
No other business could do that and survive
Then they hand us that privatizin’ jive
Post Office dates to 1775
Thanks to the blue your medicines will arrive
Will they destroy everything we do better
Or will democracy become a dead letter
They say use DHL and Fed Ex
The private sector is better than sex
But Fed Ex prices make poor folk nervous
And even Amazon uses the postal service
So many people have no bank account
They can’t afford the minimum amount
Insteada lettiin’ the post office tank
We really ought to have a postal bank
All these attacks are totally fake
It’s the unions that they want to break
They want to put democracy up for sale
And to be sure they hate vote by mail
The postal service is our crown jewel
Don’t let it be killed by this greedy fool
Please send the Congress,
The Congress a letter
Tell the reps that they could do better
Wait
Oh yes, wait a minute Mister Boast-Man
Wai-ai-ai-ait Mr Boastman
Before we are toast, man, look and see
Deliver de letter, no one does it better
A People’s History of White Supremacy
In dishonor of the 4th of July – a mere transfer of power between white aggressors – we can substitute August 13, 1619, the real beginning of racialized capitalism on these shores. Here, then, a quick if very long summary of how we got to our present sorry pass. All honor to George, Breonna, Ahmad, Elijah, and all those who are waking America tf up.
Good evening friends and blessins
We’re continuing our lessons
Is our hist’ry such a myst’ry
No this won’t be on the quiz, see
We’re continuing our lessons
Is our hist’ry such a myst’ry
No this won’t be on the quiz, see
If you give some folks a better shake
Than the other ones
The taller or the shorter
They will take the road to ruin
They may know not what they’re doin
It will be a circle jerk, it won’t work
a cul de sac no goin’ back
Power corrupts, it interrupts
Equal rights it disrupts
Then after a while you get your empires, gunnin’
For the profits that are runnin’
Grabbin’ land and killin’ humans
Only if you can’t enslave ‘em
Taking what they say god gave em
And these pirates who so violate
Cloak themselves in church and state
Flash forward to the days
When emerging from the haze
Of world war the newest nation
Became the leader of the pack
And attacked anyone who would
Dare to block their track
Come the 60s this great nation
Was taken to a war against its poor
Darker people both at home and cross the sea
But the youth exclaimed no more
Show old school right out the door
For minute we were winning
But we were only beginning
Powers that were girded their forces
Pledged and plotted to retain resources
Re-asserting their dominion
Over public opinion opinion opinion
America was conquered and destroyed
Grabbing treasure for their pleasure
It was looted, loot rerouted
And then the people must rebel
Raising up the decibel
Without which we’ll ne’er do well
Democracy with inequality can never last
Then began an anti-freedom ride
The Attorney General said
This country’s going so far to the right….
You won’t recognize it.”
But still they will disguise it
With dog whistles and epistles
To the sanctity of whiteness
There will be no white contriteness
Everything after was a slide
All our progress nullified
Putting people back in boxes
Chickens caged, guarded by foxes
Military thugs in blue
Yes they do know what they do
Orange menace riles up racists
Who fear browns will take their places
Orange man would like another Orangeburg—-
And then there was an interregnum
Freedom fighters pause and keep mum
Black man in a white house
In like lion, out like meek mouse
Even so infuriating
Those used to dominating
Some small status they’d enjoyed
Declaring others null and void
The only way to really quit
Is to openly admit
The hurt and rage of those
Who cannot turn the page and close the book
On this regime of greed and lying
Of theft and occupying
Which parades itself as greatness
If we’re willing we can break with our own past
Because democracy with inequality can never last
Imagine a world like white suburbanites
Already have
No daily terror from the wearer of the
Badge and gun
What fun!
America was conquered and destroyed
Grabbing treasure for their pleasure
It was looted, loot rerouted
And then the people must rebel
Raising up the decibel
Without which we’ll ne’er do well
Democracy with inequality can never last
So they kill and kill but yet and still
There will be a limit
When people rise agin’ it
And people say to profit
That’s enough, come on, come off it
And then perhaps we’ll see
Whether folks like you and me
Can learn to see through boys in blue
And know exactly what to do
We don’t want to burn it down
But if these clowns won’t come around
They better know it’s gonna blow
And it won’t be so pretty
In the city of murder and despair
Yes they’re restoring order
and the order of the day
Is of course not what they say
There’s talk of cop brutality
Of racialized mentality
Police recruited to defend a brutal order
We can see it’s futile there’s no border
Twixt the brute and the suit who decides
And derides the downtrodden
So broaden your view, see that
You may not be the one with the gun
But you may have freedom and a nest egg
While others sit on a powder keg
This ain’t new as I think you knew
It don’t date from yesteryear I fear
Look at the wide screen
It dates from 1619
America was conquered and destroyed
Grabbing treasure for their pleasure
It was looted, loot rerouted
And then the people must rebel
Raising up the decibel
Without which we’ll ne’er do well
Democracy with inequality can never last
Ciao Annexation
The colonial powers are still vexing and annexing. Israel/USA march on in lockstep, making sure you know only their lives matter.
The annexation
Of a whole nation
By a conqueror is not permitted
If gangs who pillage
Came to your village
It would be Johnny get your gun
Of a whole nation
By a conqueror is not permitted
If gangs who pillage
Came to your village
It would be Johnny get your gun
US and Israel
Agree without fail
They share this square idea they’re superior
Grab land and water
Kill son and daughter
Don’t give a damn for human rights
Israel’s ambitious
A bit malicious
They’re not satisfied with West Jerusalem
They want the whole land
They’ve got a big plan
It’s a somewhat racist scam
They’re occupying and always lying
Apartheid is but a step
To their final goal
Ethnic cleansing and dispossession
The USA says A-OK
Let’s all unite now
And I mean right now
My mother said stand up for the underdog
We’re gonna build a better future
And we’re gonna start right now
We’re gonna build a better future
And we’re gonna start right now