“It Doesn’t Matter Why It Is, It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Wrong V” was released on May 31, 2024 and is the fifth installment in an ongoing series of loosely related, quadrennial recordings that are released during presidential election years in the United States. All songs by John Elliott (BMI) 2024.
LISTEN ONLY AT BANDCAMP!
I STILL LIKE OBAMA
I still like Obama
Even though I know now he was not as good as we thought he was
In fact, he was not good at all
But I still like Obama
I still like Obama 'cause I still wanna believe in hope and that we can be
Better than we are, and better than we were, and better than Obama turned out to be
We can change, we can be anything we wanna be
So I still like Obama even though he killed civilians with drones
And expanded the surveillance state and infringed upon our freedoms
He looked so good on a screen
Maybe that's all we want, maybe that's all we need, maybe that's all we want
I don't know I'm just trying to be the best me I can be
And I gotta believe that so is Obama
So I still like Obama and I don't think that he is to blame for what happened after him
Because we are responsible for our reactions to whatever happens
We are adults and we're responsible
We are adults are we're responsible
Some of us are children but the rest of us are not
And we need to be who we are, we need to be who we are
So I still like Obama
I listened to the entirety of his podcast with Bruce Springsteen
And I know I am precisely the target audience
And I recognize it had a lot of problems
Because two wealthy members of the elite, regardless of their backgrounds
Cannot identify with being outsiders
But I still liked the podcast
And I still like Bruce Springsteen
And I…I…I…
Despite all that has happened since
And all that has not happened yet
And everything I've grown to understand about politics and humanity
I…I…I…I still like Obama
50 STATES WITH 50 SHAPES
Let it all hang out in Florida
Keep it crazy, keep it loud
Or hold it in in Minnesota
Under a thick emotional shroud
Idaho, ho boy ho joy
You’re armed and you are free
Montana you are too with ranches
Wyoming too, also with ranches
It’s all good, it’s all right, it’s all white
Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska
We got federal farm agricultural subsidies a-plenty for ya
Grow some soybeans and some corn
Fight for God and the unborn
It’s all good, it’s all right, it’s all white
50 states with 50 ways to be
Some are shameful, some disdainful
Some for you and some for me
Whatever it is you’re after It’s in the land of the so-called free
We got 50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be
New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and New Mexico
The sequel’s never as good as the original
We got Connecticut for pills and cash
Maine for when you need to crash
Massachusetts, choose it and you’ll be a Masshole soon
Haunted vacant South and North Dakota
Blood on your hands, blood in your soil
Blood in Texas too (and also oil)
Oklahoma, Jesus loves you
Mississippi, God does too
It’s an odyssey from slavery to genocide to Christ
California was so peaceful ‘till the people and the cars
Arizona, pretty sweet in the desert under stars
Burning dead and burning far from whatever it is we are
50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be
Oregon and Washington, granola/libertarian
Nevada for the silver and the bets and the sex
The mess of Colorado for the rich and for the drunk
Maryland was merry, but it also stunk
For a fee, Tennessee
A tragic flaw, Arkansas
We got Georgia for ya, racists in a swamp
Louisiana, better food, also racists in a swamp
Misery in Missouri
Corruption in Kentucky
Michigan is pretty nice
Wisconsin, good for fishin’
Pennsylvania, no one can blame ya
Oh me oh my oh
What a specific place to live your life
Your one and only precious life
Oh tell me we or why oh
Would you live it in Ohio?
Alaska, the final frontier
Hawaii, Europeans don’t belong here
Carolina North, better than Carolina South of course
It’d be nice to live in Utah
Virginia, old dominion
West Virginia, west dominion
Vermont is verdant, gentle, kind, and cold
Rhode Island, not an island, but it’s old
From the country to the city, it’s a joy in Illinois
Alabama, Indiana, get out of you can
Delaware, so easy to forget it’s even there
50 states with 50 ways to be
Some are shameful, some disdainful
Some for you and some for me
Whatever it is you’re after
It’s in the land of the so-called free
We got 50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be
I MISS THE PANDEMIC SO MUCH
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
I miss the roads being open, I miss how everything closed
I miss how everyone I know was doing nothing
The skies were so clear like before the people were here
I could see the mountains behind the mountains behind the mountains
And the birds were louder than they’ve ever been before
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
And yeah, I know there was a lot of suffering
But all there is every day is suffering
Whether there’s a pandemic on or not
We were all in in together
We were together for a little bit there
We grew out our hair, we got on our computers
And we connected more than ever before
And it was my favorite time on the planet
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it
COSTCO
I’m going to Costco
That’s where I wanna go
I’m going to Costco
That’s where I wanna go
Astonishing deals
I like a little Costco in most of my meals
Don’t tell me how to live my life
And I won’t tell you how to live yours
I’m going to Costco
That’s where I wanna go
I’m going to Costco
I’m not asking questions
Like where does the meat come from
And why is it all wrapped in plastic?
I’m not asking questions
I’m going to Costco
Toothpaste for a year
I’m going to Costco
For 500 beers
Nothing else makes sense
They just raised my rent again
I cannot afford it
Plus my car payment, plus gasoline
Even gas at Costco has gotten expensive
You know what I mean
Forget eating out
Forget doing anything fun now
That’s how it is
And that’s where we are
So get in the car ‘cause we’re goin to Costco
We’re gonna eat samples
We’re goin to Costco
The portions are ample
We’re goin to Costco
For a glasses prescription
We’re goin to Costco
For a glasses prescription
We’re goin to Costco
For a spending/shopping conniption
FIGHTING THE WHITE MAN
I’m Connie Chan
Do you know who I am?
I’m a local governor
I’m a virtue signaller
I’m Connie Chan
Do you know who I am?
I’m a neo-liberal
I’m a virtue signaller
I’m Connie Chan
I’m lookin out for my constituency
At least the ones who are the same as me
We’re a sensitive community
In our multi-million dollar homes that we own
We’re a sensitive community
We’re a sensitive community
I’m Connie Chan
I’m livin’ the American dream
I pulled the ladder up after me
We’re a sensitive community
I’m Connie Chan
Do you know who I am?
I’m fighting the white man
I’m fighting the white man
I’m fighting the white man
THE WHITE MAN
I am the white man, I have a dentist that I see
Consistently, twice a year, for an agreed upon fee
I am the white man, I have investments
And portfolios that are managed by a white man, whom I pay
Anyway I am a lot like you
I have a family too
I have a lot I am afraid of
I never owned a slave
That was long time ago
I only go to work and drive and fill my tank with gasoline
And drive some more
I am the white man
I have white privilege and fragility
That’s what they tell me so I guess I do
It’s best not to argue
And oh: we should consider reparations
But oh: there are a lot of complications
And the interracial couples on the Super Bowl commercials
Make me feel irrelevant, make me feel confused
About what I should feel and think and do now
I am the white man, I take vacations and PTO
I work so hard, it’s only fair I take some time off for me
I am the white man, I have a white wife
And white kids in an off white house
I guess it’s beige or maybe just tan
I am the white man
(And I compensate the Mexicans)
I am the white man
(Who blow the leaves and clean the house)
I am the white man
(I exchange my money for their labor)
I am the white man
BROWN MEN SOUTH OF BROWNSVILLE
Mother and father had a great life
They had enough to raise the six of us right
Now mother is gone and dad may as well be
He got hooked on the pills when he injured his knee
My sister’s gone heathen, she votes Democrat
The rest of us don’t know what to make about that
My brother lost his business when Obama came in
And my other brother just started drinking again
Blame the brown men south of Brownsville
Blame the brown men south of Brownsville
Joe Rogan turned us onto the Covid hoax
Yeah, I’ve heard all the pedophile liberal jokes
But I know the truth when I hear it straight out
Of a wrestler stand up comedian’s mouth
In the ivory tower they call us all dumb
They make fun of our God, our belief, and our guns
I can’t wait to wipe off that smirk when we come
Give ‘em what they’re bargaining for
Them and the brown men south of Brownsville
The brown men south of Brownsville
We did what they told us, we followed the rules
Now they think that we’re stupid
They think that we’re fools
They think that we can’t see the games that they play
How the J-sixer patriots are all locked away
How the BLM thugs have the freedom to roam
To break into a business or burn down a home
While the God-fearing Christian whose ballot got lost
Rots in a cell and pays the ultimate cost
‘Cause of brown men south of Brownsville
‘Cause of brown men south of Brownsville
If we don’t have a border our country is gone
And if our country is gone then whose side are you on?
Either get on the right side or get right with God
‘Cause we’re armed and we’re angry and we’re ready to fight
To fight for what’s ours and has been taken away
For our heritage lost in the lies that they say
For our status and flags that they made us take down
We’ll put ‘em back up and we’ll stand and be proud
‘Cause this country belongs to the strong and the brave
And the rest we will send to a treasonous grave
With the brown men south of Brownsville
With the brown men south of Brownsville
IN THE 80s IN AMERICA
In the 80s in America we were causing quite a stir
We knew who we were, we knew we were better than they were
In the 80s in America we could weather any storm
We were the good guys And the good guys don’t forget where they were born
And they know every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad sad song
Every rose has its thorn (yeah it does)
In the 80s there was AIDS yes
But it wasn’t on TV yet
In the 80s there were gays yes
But they stayed out of our faces
And with Cosby on TV we embraced our different races
We didn’t know he was a rapist in the 80s
We had fun
Boy did we have fun
It was morning again and we had fun
We were friends with Osama
We had money on Hussein
There was no way that could backfire
They both had armies that we trained
In the 80s in America we were wondrous and wild
On the face of every citizen was allegiance and a smile
Michael J. Fox wasn’t sick yet
Kirk Cameron wasn’t a dick yet
We had Growing Pains and Family Ties in the 80s
Rock and roll had riffs and hair
We were the world because we cared
We were the world and well aware of the stakes of where we stood
It was evil against good
It was Russia against us
In the 80s we knew who we could and who we could not trust
We were friends with Osama
We had money on Hussein
And their armies that we armed harmed only bad guys
As we watched the wall did crumble
As we watched the curtain fell
We had another victory to report and a freedom tale to tell
Good Lord Jesus kept us humble
Good Lord Jesus kept us clean
Good Lord Jesus kept us fed and kept us focused on the dream
The dream of freedom from the Commies
The dream of freedom for the Jews
The dream of freedom for the Muslims
And the Venezeuleans too
In the 80s in America there was freedom for us all
We had cable, we had cash, we had a ball
Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings a sad sad song
Every rose has its thorn
THE LAST BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The last black lives matter sign in the neighborhood
In the lower level corner apartment is not lookin' too good
They used to be everywhere around
Then everybody took 'em down
I guess that black lives don't matter
I guess that black lives don't matter
I guess that black lives don't matter after all
In this house we believe that science is real
In this house we believe that love is love
And kindness is everything
But kindness is not everything
Kindness is kindness
And everything is everything
And black lives don't matter, apparently
Black lives don't matter, it seems to me
Black lives don't matter after all
Rosa Parks showed courage one day
She rode the bus
She was told to move to a different seat
She did not
She did what she believed was right
The last black lives matter sign in the neighborhood
Is no longer there
They took it down
Sometime last night
Under the cover of dark
Why'd you take it down?
Why'd you put it up?
I guess that black lives don't matter
Black lives don't matter
Black lives don't matter after all
REPRISE
We all poop and wipe our butts after we poop
We all seek out opportunities to have an orgasm
We all drink fluids and pee out those fluids
We all breathe the same air, we all have variations of hair
We are all mostly made of water
We are all have a mother and a father
We all are subjected to an endless barrage of commercialism and consumer culture, especially around Christmas time
We all see gas prices, we all see grocery store prices
We all wish those prices were lower than they are
We all wanna blame someone for those prices
We all interact with electronic devices
We all have feelings
We all have reasons
We all have hopes and desires, disappointments and regrets
We all have things we want to do that we haven’t don’t yet
We all have things we want to see before we die
We all die and we are all born
We all get forlorn, we all get mad
We all have to get money and we all spend money
We all think about money
We all want more money
Even if we talk about gratitude and having enough and being grateful for what we have we all want more money
We’re all the same (sometimes lame)
We’re all the same (in 50 states)
We’re all the same (in different shapes)
We’re all the same (with different ways to be)
We’re all the same (we’re all to blame)
We’re all the same (let’s tone is down)
We’re all the same (let’s take a deep breath)
We’re all the same (before this all gets out of hand)
We’re all the same (from coast to coast)
We’re all the same (from sea to sea)
We’re all the same
You and me and them and they and her and him
And LGBTQIA2+
It’s a lot I know I don’t understand it either but I love and trust and support it though because we are all the same
Let’s aim higher
With love not guns
Let’s inspire
With what we say and what we do
Let’s do better
Let’s improve
Let’s grow
Let’s roll
Let’s go
All words written by John Elliott 2024.
“It Doesn’t Matter Why It Is, It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Wrong IV” was released in October 2020 and is the fourth installment in an ongoing series of loosely related, quadrennial recordings that are released during presidential election years in the United States. All songs by John Elliott (BMI) 2020.
LISTEN ON BANDCAMP
Alternate Timeline
There are many possible worlds, there are many possible worlds
So we didn’t lose Betty, we didn’t lose Betty
Betty is alive in another timeline
Betty didn’t die in the tower, Betty didn’t die in the tower after all
And Pete never went to the war
And if Pete never went to the war
Then he may not have any swords and I may have never met him
If Pete never went to the war, that’s one more cycle ended
One more violent cycle ended
In another timeline Wallace never hears a buzzing sound
In another timeline Charlie and Charlie are together
2012: the Mayans were right
Hurricane Sandy was a timeline switch
From that world to this, from that world to this
In that world Mitt
In that world Mitt wins
And none of this happens
A Return to Normalcy (2020)
I just wanna drive my car and go to the store
Nothing more, nothing more
Buy an açaí bowl and a phone or four
Nothing more, nothing more
I know I won’t be rich, but I don’t wanna be poor
Nothing more, nothing more
I want a place to be with a roof and a door
Nothing more, nothing more
Give me a job and a salary
Direct deposit it straight to me
I’ll use it for rent and for groceries
Dignified and free
I want a return to normalcy
We need a return to normalcy
I want a return to normalcy
I feel it deep inside of me
We need a return to normalcy
I wanna go drinking with my pals
I wanna creep up on all the gals
You know, all these crazy changes are affecting me too
Me too
Me too
Me too
I’m affected
I want a return to normalcy
Products as far as I can see
We’ll eat at a restaurant twice a week
I’ll take you out dancing cheek to cheek
I wanna get loaded up and drive
Take out a payday loan and thrive
It’s only several easy payments of $19.95
(There was a time) It’s almost all forgotten
(There was a time) When each race knew their place
(There was a time) The middle classes thrived
(There was a time) The white folk could survive
(There was a time) Survive!
I want a return to normalcy
Purchase a house with a college degree
Buy a sedan and an SUV
Have a couple kids or three
We had a supplemental fridge
We barely used it, but we did
You know, all these crazy changes are affecting me too
Me too
Me too
Me too
I’m affected
Me too
Me too
Me too
I’m affected
Evicted
Grab your toys kids and grab your clothes
We gotta go, we gotta go
Maybe to the shelter, maybe to my mom’s
I don’t know, I don’t know
Sheriff at the front door armed for a war
A platoon of men in a moving van
Grab what you can, leave the rest behind
We’re gettin’ evicted
You’re gonna have to change schools again and find new friends
We’ll make do, we’ll make do
I couldn’t pay the gas bill, couldn’t pay for heat
Now our stuff is on the street, our life is on the street
The place was a mess, the pipes were clogged and stuck
I slave for my pay just to give it all up
The landlord drives up in her fancy truck
We’re gettin’ evicted
Now my kids are hungry and my kids are cold
I can’t sleep, I can’t sleep
Seen seventy places full of cracks and mold
Denied each time, denied each time
Man at the last place dangles the key
Says maybe we can have it if he can have me
It’s Hard To Be White
It’s hard to be white
It used to be cool
We used to be king
We could do anything
We could say, “Merry Christmas”
We could worship our Lord
Buy a Chevy or Ford
Or a very loud motorbike
It’s hard to be white
It’s hard to be white
We wrote all the rules
And now they keep breaking
And changing the bathrooms
And killing policemen
Who serve and protect
And deserve our respect
While they suffer and fight
It’s hard to be white
Faster and faster and more every day
They’re erasing our culture away
Now we get Spanish announcements on the store P.A.
They used to go back, now they come here to stay
Bills are due, money is tight
It’s hard to be white
We were doin’ it right in the suburbs
Sleepin’ all night in the suburbs
Livin’ the dream in the suburbs
We were happy to be in the suburbs
Keeping it clean in the suburbs
Livin’ the dream in the suburbs
If it’s war they want, then it’s war they get
They better believe that our blood and spit
And the tears we spilled to conquer this land
And the savages we killed were all part of the plan
Not for nothing we came, not for nothing we built
Not for nothing we revolted, not for nothing we rebelled
It’s easy to be victimized
To take handouts and believe elitist lies
And professors who teach you who to despise
It’s easy to be the underdog
It’s hard to be rich
It’s hard to be right
It’s hard to be white
It’s hard to be rich
It’s hard to be right
It’s hard to be white
Burn Minneapolis
If the violence won’t end and the killing won’t stop
Then the next one who dies I hope is a cop
And I hope that he suffers and I hope he can’t breathe
And I hope it lasts long and I hope we can see
And I hope that his cheek is pushed into the street
And it grinds and it tears and it bleeds
If it’s come to this, then it’s come to this
Execute the officers and burn Minneapolis
If it’s come to this, then it’s come to this
Execute the officers and burn Minneapolis
Company Man
He’s a slave catcher company man armed with weapons of war
He’s a meat-head murderer company man with a pension and perks galore
It’s easy to hate, it’s fun to despite, a man such as he
Armed to the teeth
Armed to do battle with the homeless and the poor
What else is he for?
He’s a slave catcher company man armed with weapons of war
He’s a meat-head murderer company man with a pension and perks galore
He upholds and he enforces laws of racist filth
Laws unjust and wrong
Armed to the teeth
Armed to do battle with with the homeless and the poor
What else is he for?
Laws created by men of means
Men of unjustifiable, unquantifiable wealth
Men who buy and pay men like these
To strut through the streets and extract petty fees like petty thieves
To intimidate black and brown children and hunt and kill citizens
In the home of the sick and the land of the trapped
In a uniform slick and a ridiculous cap
This is the world we made and accept
This is the world we made and accept
This is the world we made and accept
This is the world we made and accept
This is the world we made and accept
For so long
Since we settled on farms and we grew extra food and we needed an asshole to guard it
That’s how policing started
When we settled on farms and we grew extra food and we needed an asshole to guard it
That’s how policing started
He’s a slave catcher company man armed with weapons of war
He’s a meat-head murderer company man with a pension and perks galore
WWG1WGA (Enjoy the Show)
I’m a Q-duder, I’m a YouTuber
I’m in deep state probate
I live in Arizona, I live in Arizona
(Enjoy the show) CNN can eat my ass
(Murder the blacks) Suck my dick and sniff my gas
(Record it on your phone)
I live in Arizona, I live in Arizona
(It’s prophecy, not crime) I post and I tweet
(Suck my white behind) I eat meat
I tithe motherfucker, I tithe
Now let me log in and own some libard, fuckface, they/them, transfag, snowflake, deep state trolls
I’m on a fuckin’ roll
I live in Arizona
I trust the plan
It’s the calm before the storm
Where we go one we go all
Enjoy the show
(I trust the plan) We gotta focus on the family
(I trust the plan) Stock up and get swole
(I trust the plan) It’s apocalyptic Super Bowl
(I trust the plan) By hook or by crook we’ll learn the truth about Sandy Hook
(I trust the plan) It’s the calm before the storm
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
(I trust the plan) No one can stop what is coming
(I trust the plan) No one can stop what is coming
(I trust the plan) No one can stop what is coming
(I trust the plan) No one can stop what is coming
(I trust the plan) No one can stop what is coming
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
(I trust the plan) Where we go one we go all
Public Executions
Heads will roll, heads will roll, heads will roll
I’m ready for the executions, I’m ready for the executions
Bullets in the brains
I’m ready for the executions
Bullets between the eyes
I’m ready for the executions, I’m ready for the retributions
I’m ready for the executions
Bullets between the eyes
Bullets in the brains
Public executions in the town squares
Everybody gonna be there
18 and over, 18 and over
You can put in on your Instagram
You can put it on your Tik Tok too
Explicit warning, adult advisory
Bullets in the brain, bullets in the brain
Public executions
Heads are gonna roll
Public executions
Bring a blanket, bring a snack
Bring a camera, bring a flask
Everybody will be there
18 and over
Bullets between the eyes
Public executions
Parents are advised, parents are advised
Everybody will be there
At the city hall or in the town square
18 and over
Public executions, public executions
We’ll make it look nice, make it official
Officers in uniforms carrying flags
We’re only following footsteps
Public executions, bullets in the brains
Bullets between the eyes
On the nightly news
Put the highlights up on YouTube
For everyone to see, for everyone to feel
You can hear the applause, you can see ‘em all kneel
You can watch ‘em all beg, when they know that it’s real
You can see ‘em all feel, you can tell that it’s real
A public execution, bullets between the eyes
18 and over
Parents are advised
A public execution, bullets in the brains
Bring a picnic and camera and an umbrella if it rains
A public execution, bullets between the eyes
Get dressed up nice
Parents are advised
A public execution, bullets in the brains
Bring a picnic and camera and an umbrella if it rains
A public execution, bullets between the eyes
Public executions, bullets in the brains
Public executions, bullets between the eyes
Public executions, bullets in the brains
Public executions, bullets between the eyes
Public executions, bullets in the brains
How Ned Came To The Mohawk Valley
We are who we were, we grow and we learn, we learn and evolve and transform
We are who we were, we grow and we learn, we learn and evolve and transform
So who was Ned before?
Who was Ned before?
Before he moved to the Mohawk Valley…
He was born in the fifties, grew up in the sixties
Came out in ‘78
He was a product of privilege and a product of wealth
He was poised to be rich and be great
He got his degrees from universities in finance and business galore
He moved to New York and got a job at the top of a tower, cocked to the core
As the 80s began he was hungry and able
He invested impressive amounts
His bosses were pleased, he fudged all his fees
He believed a man’s worth is what counts
And so it was and so it went for twenty-plus odd years
Ned the hard-ass banker man
Ned the stressed out suit, the downtown dweller
Those decades were fast and those decades were dark
Monstrous fortunes were made
Ned fell in love with a man in the park and the man had the gay plague
Nobody knew how to treat it or beat it
Reagan ignored it was real
Ned’s lover died alone in the hospital
Ned taught himself not to feel
He was lucky to live, he was not infected
He buried his hurt and his pain
He lost himself in his work, his stocks went berserk
And Ned rose to Wall Street fame
Yes, it’s safe to say Y2K was a bust
By then Ned was a billionaire
He was overweight and overworked and a heart attack waiting to happen
He was a company man
He was a company man
He was a company man
On the morning it happened Ned had an appointment in his office on the 69th floor
He got in at eight, he never was late
Whatever he had he could always make more
He happened to look out and up and at Tower One at 8:46
The airplane came fast, flew in with a flash
And Ned thought, “I can’t believe this”
His co-workers screamed, his bosses appeared
They all knew that danger was near
Ned thought, “If airplanes are targeting towers we gotta get folks out of here”
Then commotion ensued and the folks were confused
An announcement came on the P.A.
“Listen to me, this is the Port Authority
You’ll be safe if you stay where you are.
The South Tower is good, the South Tower is strong
You’ll be safe if you stay at your desk.”
The people calmed down, the people relaxed
It’s good to know what to expect
But Ned wasn’t buying it, Ned wasn’t sure
Ned simply did not agree
He looked out a window to the south and the west at the Statue of Liberty
He spotted the plane, he watched it fly in in a terrible trajectory
He watched it crash into the South Tower ten floors about him at 9:03
Oh Ned, Oh Ned
Thousands of people will be dead
The building exploded, the deafening noise assaulted their ears and their minds
And folks who were wealthy and folks who were not
Were suddenly all terrified
Ned saw it happen and Ned saw the danger and Ned’s intuition kicked in:
“We’ve gotta get people through hallways to stairways, we’ve gotta get people out now”
He calmed them all down
They were cooled by the sound of a man who was steady and clear
He brought them together down 69 floors and he sang to them, quelling their fears
They emerged from the building at 9:51
In the sun they were blinking and fine
They were walking away, feeling almost okay, when the tower collapsed at 9:59
They all ran for cover, they jumped in an alcove, with Ned again in the lead
In the smoke and the ash, through the screams and the terror and the coughs
Not a single employee was lost
He was a company (wonderful) man
He was a company (wonderful) man
He was a company (wonderful) man
An era was over, the towers were gone
The city was never the same
Ned went to his boss at the end of the month and said, “I gotta get out of the game”
He sold his place and he moved upstate where the air was quiet and clear
In the Mohawk Valley he started over again while the country collapsed into fear
It took several years to release and unwind and to find the sweetness in a simpler life
But Ned had the cash and Ned had the time to heal his heart and transform his mind
And do his part to end the cycle of violence
A Return to Normalcy (1920)
I have a dream we can return to our way of life before the war
I have a dream, I have a dream
We can return to normalcy
I have a dream, I have a dream
I have a dream, I have a dream
I have a dream we can return to normalcy
Not heroics, but healing
Not nostrums, but normalcy
Not revolution, but restoration
Not agitation, but adjustment
Not surgery, but serenity
Not the dramatic, but the dispassionate
Not experiment, but equipoise
Not submergence in internationality
But sustainment in triumphant nationality
There are major strikes in meat-packing and steel
Fear of these radicals and terrorists is real
There are race riots in Chicago
There are anarchists on Wall Street
The Germans and Catholics are outraged at the British
Fear of these radicals and terrorists is real
Fear of these radicals and terrorists is real
After this Red Summer we need to wash our hands clean
I was there when Eugene crossed the line
In this timeline the white folks stoned him and the child drowned and died
In another timeline Eugene survived
I was there
I was there
Not heroics, but healing (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not nostrums, but normalcy (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not revolution, but restoration (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not agitation, but adjustment (Bring us back Warren G)
Not surgery, but serenity (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not the dramatic, but the dispassionate (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not experiment, but equipoise (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not submergence in internationality (Bring us back Warren G)
Not heroics, but healing (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not nostrums, but normalcy (Bring us back to normalcy)
Not revolution, but restoration (Bring us back to normalcy)
All words written by John Elliott 2020.
ISIS
I heard of Isis on the fourth of July
But I could not believe it was true for too long
So I grew a long beard and flew into the sky
For middle of the east, to sort right out from wrong
I came to a low place of anger and joy
The difference was carved into everyone’s face
The plane dropped me off, I walked up to a boy
I said I had some history I needed to erase
He called to a man who was ancient and scarred
I knew right away he was not understated
He said, “Are you lookin’ to decode something hard?”
I said, “I think so.” He said, “It’s all overrated.”
We set out at noon for the heat of the dunes
I gave him some blue jeans and he gave me his word
I said, “Where we goin’?” He said we be back by June
I said, “That’s the best news that I’ve ever heard.”
I was thinking about Iraq, I was thinking about Saddam
I was thinking about Bush and the world’s biggest drone
As we trudged through the sand like a satanic prom
I was thinking about ISIS and how they too had a home
How they told us that one day they’d nuke us to hell
And things would be different when they ruled the land
If they only could make propaganda to sell
But ours is so slick and so rich and so grand
We came a suburb all embedded in sun
He said, “There’s a man here who you need to shoot
If you take this man out then this war will be won
Just dump his body at sea” — I said, “that seems too cute”
The wind it was howlin’ and the heat was outrageous
We searched through the night and we searched thought the dawn
When he died I was hoping that it wasn’t contagious
But I made up my mind that I had to go on
I broke down a door, but the compound was empty
There was no man, no nothin’, I felt I’d been tricked
When I saw my companion was just being crazy
When I followed him here I must’a been sick
I grabbed his arms and I dragged him inside
I covered him up with a blanket and a skillet
I sang a quick song and I felt satisfied
Then I rode back to find ISIS just to curse it and kill it
They were there in the desert where the oil still flows
Surrounded by guns and in need of some food
I came in from the west with the sand in my toes
I struck them one time, then I took all their crude
They said, “What’s your deal?” I said, “I am special”
They said, “You look angry.” I said, “That’s my flow.”
They said, “You been wrong.” I said, “So have you.”
They said, “You gonna quit?” I said, “Never. No.”
Isis, oh, Isis, you’re a mystical crew
What scares us in you is what makes us a lie
I still can remember the way that you grew
As the fireworks flew on the fourth of July
THE MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE IN HISTORY
the most qualified candidate in history
she's a mystery
all the time
she’s got money
she’s got money on her mind
the most qualified candidate in history
secretary misery
once upon a time
she’s got money
she’s got money on her mind
boo boo boo boo boo
she’s always changing up her hair doo
baa baa baa baa
she gets in sticky situations
boo boo boo boo
she got a record reputation
she’s always saying something but she’s never saying nothing at all
the most qualified candidate in history
she’s got money
she’s got money on her mind
THE ART OF THE DEAL
The art of the deal
Do some qualudes & steal
In the 80s there were ladies and lines
There were shakers and movers
Check book bakers and boozers
Groovers groovin’ to the wall street grind
The art of the deal
Order takeout every meal
Mind the market, hit your target, get your prize
Both the bear and the bull, what you wear gets you pull
In the restaurants where the well to do dine
They say greed is good and they’re right about that
At the drop of a hat, it could all be gone
All gone
The art of the deal
Go with your gut, do what you feel
Just groovers groovin’ to the Wall Street grind
They got money, they got money on their mind
They got money, they got money on their mind
DIMINISHING NUMBERS
I didn’t die in the epidemic
I stayed alive for awhile
I moved along the Mohawk river
I lived along the Mohawk river
I got along
A refugee showed up and said
They want an alliance
We were mourning our dead
We killed the refugee
We killed the refugee
We killed the refugee
And we’d do it again
This is a war
This is a war
Whose side are you on?
What are you fighting for?
Why are you fighting?
We attacked the southeast
Took six hundred captives at least
Then they killed our leader
So we took ‘em out
We destroyed them
And their allies attacked us
And it went on and on and on and on
Diminishing numbers
And out of supplies
We accepted their offer
But it just wasn’t right
And then over time
Diminishing numbers
On the mohawk river
Diminishing numbers
On the Mohawk River
Diminishing numbers
Diminishing numbers
Diminishing numbers
HIKIKOMORI
Hikikomori
I don’t know anymore what I should do
I don’t know anymore
Hikikomori
I don’t know anymore what I should do
I don’t know anymore
I don’t know anymore
Hikikomori
I don’t go anywhere
I don’t go anywhere
Hikiomori
I don’t go anywhere
I don’t go anywhere
Hikiomori
I don’t go anywhere anymore
I don’t go anywhere anymore
Just leave me alone
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
I don’t know anymore
I don’t know
I don’t know
I don’t know
Hikikomori
I don’t know anymore what I should do
I don’t know anymore
Hikikomori
I don’t know anymore what I should do
I don’t know anymore
Hikikomori
I don’t know anymore what I should do
I don’t know anymore
IT’S OKAY, IT’S FINE (MOST OF THE TIME)
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, go that way
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
Lady got a walking stick and a lady to lean upon
Man I met last night was almost dead
Cluster here got drunk and sick, cluster there got a bone to pick
We’re hungry and we’re hunting
We’re hungry and we’re hunted
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, go that way
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
There is dog shit on the streets of America
There is human shit also on the streets
I haven’t been to Tokyo, but I would like to someday go
And see what kind of shit is on their streets
Oh! I wanna see what Japanese shit looks like
I’ll even smell it!
I wanna smell Japanese shit
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, go that way
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
I don’t need a jury or a justice
I don’t need a judgement from on high
I cannot speak for God above, but I believe in endless love
And I believe that humans beings can make it
Oh!
Yes, I believe that human beings can make it
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way be that way be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, it’s okay, go that way go that way
Whichever way you wanna be, be that way
Whichever way you wanna go, go that way
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
It’s okay, it’s fine (most of the time)
ON 9/11
On 9/11
I was still in heaven
I was still in trouble
I was still in love
I was in paradise
Too much paradise
So much paradise
You have to close your eyes
So much paradise you have to close your eyes
On 9/11
I was smoking cigarettes
I used to smoke in New York
When I lived there for a little bit
A couple months before 9/11
We were all unemployed
We were girls and we were boys
We didn’t think about justice
We didn’t think about pain
We didn’t think about torture
Or who was to blame
We believed in each other
We were simple and strong
We were young independents
We were all strung along
On 9/11
I can’t say I was scared
I was in paradise
So much paradise
So much paradise
You have to shield your eyes
On 9/11
On 9/11
You have to shield your eyes
All words written by John Elliott 2016.
I. Pissin’ on Plants in the Suburbs
i. Pissin’ on Plants in the Suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
I’m pissin’ on plants in the suburbs
And the newsman and the paperboy
And the bureaucrats and Ned were for the war
So they sat around and they talked a bit
Then they slept on it and agreed to not agree
It’s not for me
I’m makin’ it count in the suburbs
I’m addin’ it up in the suburbs
I’m kickin’ some ass in the suburbs
I’m takin’ you out in the suburbs
And the newsman and the paperboy
And the bureaucrats and Ned were wrong before
So they sat around and they talked a bit
Then they slept on it and agreed to not agree
But I said that Pete’s been to the war and Pete says:
“We gotta make it out, we gotta make it up again
You should come to my place and look at my swords
You should come to New Jersey, you should come and meet me
You should come and look at my swords”
Pete says it’s a tradition over there
Pete has confident eyes and nervous hair
ii. Where I’m From
Where I’m from we kick the can in cul de sacs
We cheer when the marines attack
We go to the boat show
Where I’m from we know to take it slow
Where I’m from I never met a black guy
I never knew a Jew
Maybe one or two
Where I’m from
I was doin’ it right in the suburbs
Sleepin’ all night in the suburbs
Livin’ the dream in the suburbs
I was happy to be in the suburbs
Keepin’ it clean in the suburbs
Livin’ the dream in the suburbs
The neighbors came to call
We had a ball, we had it all
Now the time’s tick tockin’
We’re criss crossin’ the planet
Having sex and drinking water
Eating food and drinking water
iii. We All Fall
I was so surprised when trouble came
(And we all fall)
She had pretty eyes and a pretty name
(And we all fall)
I was such a sorry sight to see
(And we all fall)
Everybody tried to bury me
How did we get so low?
We were beautiful you know, we had it all
We had a ball
Now the time’s tick tockin’
We’re criss crossin’ the planet
Having sex and drinking water
Eating food and drinking water
iv. People and Their Problems
People and their problems: mosquitoes, ducks and swallows
We hold each other up and then we all fall down
II. Charlie
i. Charlie
Look to the high hills, pace yourself Charlie
All in good time my dear
Sometimes at night when the campsite is quiet
I pick up his leg and I kiss it
And I miss him
Charlie’s a soldier, a virgin, a sweetie
A buddy, a memory, a cripple
Charlie’s a junkie, a bookie, a banker
A silent consumer, a thanker
He got a face, he got a place
He got a calendar and he crosses off each day
He counts down to his grave and every month he saves
A little bit, a little bit more
But Charlie what’s it for?
Charlie what’s in store?
Charlie’s keepin’ score, but…
Charlie don’t believe in it no more
Charlie’s grown accustomed to the war
Charlie doesn’t wish for all that much
Perhaps some season tickets and a cabin
Perhaps some season tickets and a cabin
ii. One Penny Can Help (Sha La La La)
Sha la la la sha la la la
Sha la la la la la la la la la la la
Sha la la la Sha la la la
Sha la la laSha la la la la
iii. Tonight he’s in the Trenches
Tonight he’s in the trenches with his dog
His trusty, rusty dog
Charlie named him Charlie
And shots ring out
And Charlie shouts
And Charlie barks
And Charlie’s hit
Charlie sniffs
Charlie moans
Charlie goes for help
iv. Charlie the Dog
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
My name is Charlie, Charlie the dog
Charlie alert
Charlie is hurt
They got him with bullets, with quote unquote bullets
Proverbial bullets, ridiculous bullets
One of his legs is lost
The other leg came off
One of his legs is lost
The other leg came off
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
What a good boy, what a good boy, what a good boy
Dogs are so funny, they’re almost like humans
It’s almost as if they’re trying to tell us something
v. Charlie Reminds Me of Charlie
Charlie reminds me of Charlie
Charlie is chomping at the bit
Charlie is already dead
Finally got what he wanted
vi. Charlie (reprise)
Charlie’s a soldier, a virgin, a sweetie
A buddy, a memory, a cripple
Charlie’s a junkie, a bookie, a banker
A silent consumer, a thanker
Charlie’s a dog
Look to the high hills, pace yourself Charlie
All in good time my dear
Charlie’s a dog
Look to the high hills, pace yourself Charlie
All in good time my dear
What a good boy what a good boy what a good boy what a good boy such a good boy Charlie such a good boy such a good boy what a good boy what a good boy such a good boy Charlie
III. Ned
i. Ned
Out where drew drops drip in New York state
There lives a smallish man
He reasons not his face or place
He cares not for the terror of our times
He spends his mornings reading books
He smokes a wooden pipe
He reasons not the health defects
He cares not for an entertainment center
While his neighbors surf the internet
He drinks and mows his lawn
He reasons not of fax machines
He cares not for your web address or number
And so it was and so it went
For forty plus odd years
Ned the hillside valley soul
Ned the odd man out, the next-door weirdo
ii. I’m Your Grocer
I’d be lying if I said that I knew him
But I blew him from time to time
See by day I’m your grocer, you’ve known me for years
By night I’m a cock suckin’ queer
There’s a guy like me in every dime store
The fag whore, the cum guzzlin’ ass muzzlin’ dude
And the town was a small one, population 400
I plugged every butt hole but two
And as you can imagine, I kept pretty quiet
I never let on what I did
And Ned, by the way, wasn’t dirty or lonely
A once-a-month blowjob was all
iii. He Was a Wonderful Man
Yes, it’s safe to say Ned was a topic at table
Everyone thought he was odd
He never got angry or purchased a paper
He cooked all his meals at home
He was a wonderful man
He was a wonderful man
He was a wonderful man
iv. The Day That It Happened
On the day that it happened I had an appointment
To suck on Ned’s dick after twelve
I put on my shoes and I slathered my hands
With ointment to slather Ned’s cock
I stopped on the stoop to admire the view
A lazy July afternoon
Across on the hillside was Ned sitting outside
Also enjoying the view
I waved and he waved, I stepped onto the road
I never got further than that
The rocket came fast, flew in with a flash
Exploded and blew off my hat
I gathered my senses and rose to my feet
The townsfolk were chattering loud
I gazed at the chasm to check in with Ned
And saw the great nuclear cloud
v. The Commander
Then a bugle did sound and assaulted the town
Announcing the army brigade
They crested the hill in their jeeps and their tanks
Waving American flags
The Commander rose up with a bullhorn and spoke
He said:
“People of Valley View, listen!
We are the good guys, we are on your side
We tested a missile shield and failed.
Now do not be frightened, it’s not what it looks like
This mushroom plume is a ruse.
It’s a shock and awe tactic to scare off the evil,
Your tax dollars working for you!
Now tell us, you citizens
Tell us, you friends
Did anyone live in this spot?
The rocket’s not toxic, but fire is fire
This person is probably dead.”
He made his announcement so matter of factly
That nobody batted an eye
They shrugged and dispersed like satisfied dogs
Content that their country was winning
I ran to the nearest jeep shrieking and weeping
I threw myself onto the ground
The sergeant called out to the sergeant
Who called to the captain, who called the commander
He sauntered to me, he spat on my shoes
He asked for my job and my name
I couldn’t respond, I was sad about Ned
And his many guns terrified me
“Well speak up and answer, what are you, a fairy?!”
He pushed his pate into my pate
His dogmen surrounded, the siren was sounded
The townsfolk remaining retreated
And I mustered up none but a feeble refrain
Over and over again
He was a wonderful man
He was a wonderful man
He was a wonderful man
v. Crucifixion
They strung me up high and they crucified quick
I’m closer to Ned every hour
The townsfolk ignore me as children implore me
To tell them the tale of Ned
I start at the start and with all of my heart
I spin it with fabulous ease
How Ned from the valley lived neatly and sweetly
And died in a test of our missile defense
From a rocket wound paid for by us
IV. The Ballad of Wallace Green and His Dog
i. Wallace Green
From just outside of Birmingham, a man named Wallace Green
He’s got a dog he loves who loves him back
And a pick-up painted green
Been in the desert for four years
On probation for four months
He’s got a lawyer from the state who’s always late
And he’s got some land back home
But he won’t get back to it
And he won’t see the sun again
When they take him in and they get a closer look
ii. Wallace Out West
Wallace came out west to meet a girl
Took his time along the way
She was thinner in her picture, he decided he should stay
Taught her children to be proud
Cleaned ‘em up and set ‘em straight
Gave ‘em something to believe, filled up their plates
But all the men he met didn’t treat him with respect
They called him slow, they made him mean
And Wallace Green says:
“It doesn’t matter why it is, it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong
It only matters that it is and it’s been goin’ on a bit too long.”
iii. Wallace Hears a Buzzin’ Sound
There’s only so much that a man can take before he breaks
It happened one night, it happened so fast
Wallace don’t remember what went down
He knows he heard a buzzin’ sound
And he woke up next to dead tied to a hospital bed
With four felonies to his name
It’s a dirty game and he got a piece of it
iv. Wallace’s Dog
That dog was desperate when he found her
Hunger sick and danger thin
Caked in shit, he cleaned her up, washed off the blood
And took her in
Wallace learned to love her quick
Gave her a name he thought would stick
He lets her out, she feeds herself, she leaves the bones
And every night back home she’s sleepin’ at his feet
It’s all that either of them needs
It’s a perfect scene
But it’s over now for Wallace Green
v. It Doesn’t Matter Why It Is, It Doesn’t Matter If It’s Wrong
He was out on bail when he found
That his dog was in the pound
He had a week to get some cash
Or they were gonna put her down
He called his ma hopin’ that she could help him out
She had some money down south, she went it west
And Wallace said it’s good she did
‘Cause he’d come after who killed her if they did
And he’d hurt him hard
He wouldn’t laugh or frown
He’d hunt him and he’d bring him down
Take the body back to town
Put it in his pick-up truck
Prop it up and drive it around
‘Cause it doesn’t matter why it is and it doesn’t matter if it’s wrong
It only matters that it is and it’s been goin’ on a bit too long
All words written by John Elliott 2008.