Sunday, September 11, 2005

A Little Fat Man with a Notepad in His Hand

There's a swelling in my throat the more I hear, and I wanted to say something for my friends down south. I'm disgusted with my country and encouraged by it. I hope we can keep paying attention. Here're two songs by Randy Newman whom I've been listening to lately. I love you all.

Louisiana 1927


What has happened down here is the wind have changed
Clouds roll in from the north and it started to rain
Rained real hard and rained for a real long time
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangeline

The river rose all day
The river rose all night
Some people got lost in the flood
Some people got away alright
The river have busted through cleard down to Plaquemines
Six feet of water in the streets of Evangelne

Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tyrin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away
Louisiana, Louisiana
They're tryin' to wash us away
They're tryin' to wash us away

President Coolidge came down in a railroad train
With a little fat man with a note-pad in his hand
The President say, "Little fat man isn't it a shame
what the river has done
To this poor cracker's land."

Mr. President Have Pity on the Working Man

We've taken all you've given
But it's gettin' hard to make a livin'
Mr. President have pity on the working man

We're not asking you to love us
You may place yourself high above us
Mr. President have pity on the working man

I know it may sound funny
But people ev'ry where are runnin' out of money
We just can't make it by ourself

It is cold and the wind is blowing
We need something to keep us gong
Mr. President have pity on the working man

Maybe you've cheated
Maybe you've lied
Maybe you have lost your mind
Maybe you're only thinking 'bout yourself

Too late to run. Too late to cry now
The time has come for us to say good-bye now
Mr. President have pity on the working man
Mr. President have pity on the working man

2 Comments:

At 2:16 PM, Blogger zom said...

hey, we missed you.

 
At 9:03 PM, Blogger Jody Bilyeu said...

I heard this song up on the NPR. It was good.

Last night, I dreamed I had to play a blues show on guitar in front of a bunch of people, and Tab Benoit was in the audience. It was an anxiety dream, see.

Anyways, I wound up singing a blues song I wrote as it went, called, "Ill Wind," but I don't remember any of the verses. A bunch of couplets, if I remember. Doesn't seem like anyone else can remember it, either.

 

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