"Well I heard Mr. Young sing about (him)"
You can find Neil Young's lyrics to "Impeach the President" here. Roger Friedman, who quotes the lyrics, finds them "incendiary (and) moving". I find them trite and a bit juvenile. Maybe I'm biased. Could be.
Friedman goes on to say that Young's album "contains the most pungent attacks on a US president in pop-rock since The Ramones recorded 'Bonzo Goes to Bitburg' in the late 1980s." We all remember that one don't we?
As I recall, ol' "Bonzo" was rather fundamental in bringing about the end of communism and the fall of the Berlin wall. The Ramones? Well, they were a punk rock band.
As for Neil Young, I'm sure his album and this song will find its place among the "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" pantheon.
How come these artists don't write songs about Democrats? Where was Neil Young when Bill Clinton was rifling through FBI files of ordinary citizens and dropping bombs on Bosnia, not to mention abusing his power, obstructing justice and committing perjury to thwart a woman's right to pursue a sexual harrasment suit against him? Here's my stab at it (create your own melody):
Let's impeach the president
For lying through his teeth
for wagging his fat finger
for deconstructing "is"
and smirking at the law
Let's impeach the president
for rifling through our files
for hiring bouncers to trounce
our rights
for pimping our souls to Beijing
Let's impeach the president
for cluster-bombing children...
...yada yada yada
Ain't it moving? Ain't I a genius? Not bad for a minute and a half of thought...
Friedman goes on to say that Young's album "contains the most pungent attacks on a US president in pop-rock since The Ramones recorded 'Bonzo Goes to Bitburg' in the late 1980s." We all remember that one don't we?
As I recall, ol' "Bonzo" was rather fundamental in bringing about the end of communism and the fall of the Berlin wall. The Ramones? Well, they were a punk rock band.
As for Neil Young, I'm sure his album and this song will find its place among the "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" pantheon.
How come these artists don't write songs about Democrats? Where was Neil Young when Bill Clinton was rifling through FBI files of ordinary citizens and dropping bombs on Bosnia, not to mention abusing his power, obstructing justice and committing perjury to thwart a woman's right to pursue a sexual harrasment suit against him? Here's my stab at it (create your own melody):
Let's impeach the president
For lying through his teeth
for wagging his fat finger
for deconstructing "is"
and smirking at the law
Let's impeach the president
for rifling through our files
for hiring bouncers to trounce
our rights
for pimping our souls to Beijing
Let's impeach the president
for cluster-bombing children...
...yada yada yada
Ain't it moving? Ain't I a genius? Not bad for a minute and a half of thought...
posted by Wonderdog | 12:45 AM | Permalink
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10 comments
10 Comments:
Now, Wonder Dog, I think you -- or perhaps the more English Major types on the Rumpus (you know who you are) -- could and perhaps should deconstruct the lyrics, rather than just complain and mock them. While I am not a scholarly person, I immediately noted the following:
Not once, but TWICE, ol' Neil thanks God. How often do you hear that on the left? And notice that he seems to be blaming the damage to the levees of New Orleans on man (i.e., the President), rather than on an "act of God" (i.e., Katrina). This is clearly the work of a member of the religious right.
Next, in "What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees" he clearly is stipulating that Al Qaeda is a terrorist organization and is considering a popular conspiracy theory.
I read "Abusing all the power that we gave him" to mean that he voted for George W Bush and is disappointed in the way W has moved to the left in spending, working with Ted Kennedy, expanding the size of government, etc. Who on the right can argue with that?
I've not heard the expression "racking down" ("he’s racking down on steroids"), but from context I'd guess he applauds W's efforts to clean up baseball. This clearly is over the top, as I believe the credit truly belongs to Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), not the President.
See, there's a lot you can do with this song written by a disappointed conservative. I hope the rest of the Rumpus will step forward and add to this discussion.
Wonderdog, to dismiss the Ramones as merely a "punk rock band" is facile. Their impact on the human race, through their music and innovation, I would argue was greater by far than Ronald Reagan's.
Conservative in Virginia is right, instead of mocking Neil Young, why don't you come up with a more substantive criticism of his song?
You really aren't very smart are you?
Inconceivable that anybody can support this "president". But then, there are lots of dim bulbs around.
Anon, assuming you're the same person responsible for both comments, it's hard to argue with someone who thinks the Ramones have done more for mankind than Ronald Reagan.
I think I'll let that comment epitomize YOUR dizzying intellect...
Ah, if only Johnny Ramone were president...We could all just "be sedated" and it would be all good.
I may be a dim bulb but at least the light is on here, pal.
Too funny. I had assumed Anon's first comment was a joke!
Ummmm, who are the Ramones?
By the way -- great job, CIV!
Wow. I didn't realize that the Ramones had such a significant impact on the fall of the "Evil Empire". . The Pope, Ronald Reagan, and the Ramones. The Father, The Son, and the Most Holy.
And to Anon. . come on. This must be Timdog, or Topdog laying low. . otherwise how could you possibly nail WD as a dim bulb without being so close to him?
And how can you call Wonderdog "Facile" when he has fathered two children?
Wonderdog is more of a 'black light' than a dim bulb.
I just read the lyrics. "OUR Country"? "The Power WE gave him".
Since when can Canadians vote in US Elections?
And what is it about the left that has to put "president" in quotations marks. Just silliness. Clinton was our president, and Bush is yours. We all just have to get over it, and ourselves.
Stewdoggie, I think you might be right. I got my ire up and didn't think that perhaps someone was putting one over on me. I suspect Timmy D...
Nope...not me...but I do love the Ramones!!!!
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