Friday, April 22, 2005
For Poetry Month
Leah has already made entree into Poetry Month, and put some of her own favorites up. I put a longtime favorite but too long a post (Ralph Hodgson's "The Bull") on my own site this week, but I thought the particularly political implications of this song by Stephen Fearing would be good for my contribution to corrente. Stephen is a wonderful Canadian singer-songwriter whose music and word paintings are a joy to hear.
This song, "Rave On Captain", has always felt like a dart at George Bush, and I'm happy to just keep thinking that:
This song, "Rave On Captain", has always felt like a dart at George Bush, and I'm happy to just keep thinking that:
"Rave On CaptainBush is mad, but they just keep enabling him. And so they all rave on.
(Stephen Fearing - 2001/© Fearing & Loathing Music)
Rave on captain sir, will you wear the crown?
The votes were counted sleight of hand and you won the round
Standing present and correct
To coronate The King elect
We bend the knee, we show respect
To the new chief saboteur
Rave on for the masses as you lead the way
Rave on for the apathy that took the day
Either one or else the other
Tweedledum or Tweedledumber
March in circles to the same drummer
And it all becomes a blur
Rave on Captain, oh my Captain Sir
Rave on for the lawyer and the plain clothes cop
Rave unto the nation of the doughnut shop
News of you and your secretary
More than strictly necessary
The loudmouths and the mercenaries
We know who they were
Rave on Captain, oh my Captain Sir
Based on what you are and who you were it was a long shot
The high priest of the entrepreneurs it was a long shot
another shooting star thrust at the world it was a long shot
A long shot
Rave on for the drinker living hand to mouth
Rave on for the factories that headed south
holding court in secrecy
The bankrupt play monopoly
No mercy, no democracy
and no-one breathe a word
Rave on Captain, oh my Captain Sir
Based on what you are and who you were it was a long shot
The high priest of the entrepreneurs it was a long shot
another shooting star thrust at the world it was a long shot
A long shot
Rave on
Rave on"
