So I listened to part of the president's press conference the other day while I cleaned my kitchen. Let me just say that the cleaning process was fueled by my ever-increasing emotional state as I listened to this man continue to spew ridiculous statement after even more ridiculous statement. Ugh. I guess I missed the part with the bird pooping on his sleeve (and his subsequent bare-handed wipe... nice...). Either way, I know that I am not well-informed enough politically, but I try to read through my Time magazine each week, and I listen to NPR on a regular basis, so like every other average American, I have views on this war and this failed administration. As I listened to Bush continue to stress that the Iraq war (I refuse to call this the 'War on Terror') is the result of "their" vicious attack on us (does anyone, ANYONE still believe in an Iraq and 9/11 connection?!?!), I felt the need to listen, once again, to a particular song. One that I've been listening to regularly lately; one that I think is brilliant in its word usage and obvious emotional rawness. BNL's latest album- Barenaked Ladies Are Men (their second BLAM, following BNL are Me) includes a song called "Fun and Games." I hope it's not illegal to post the lyrics (which I found on a different site- http://tylerkinch.com/?p=105). I don't think the reality of the current administration's planning of this war over the last few years truly matches the overt horrible intentions that the song portrays, but that's the beauty of satire. Take enough reality and spice it up with a good measure of exaggeration (I don't think it needed all that much in this case), and you've got yourself a worthy depiction. It's much better to listen to (as BNL once again coordinates the words with interesting varying sounds-- like the marching feet subtley heard in the background), but read it through and you start to get the point.
Fun and Games
Barenaked Ladies
we sent in the army
they sounded alarms we
saw it coming from a mile away
we kept it off radar
because we had to say our
intentions were to save the day
why did you fail
to see
it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
and they were shocked and they were awed
and they were blown in half
fun and games
we’re just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg
we kept it all long-range
and made a regime change
you’d have thought it would have been a gas
but when it got ugly
we sat around smugly
because you bought our little joke en masse
don’t look at me that way
it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
we knew your sons and daughters
would be blown in half
fun and games
we’re just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg
put a smile on
we’re the ones that you selected
leave that dial son
because we just got re-elected
in a while our
bill of rights will be rejected
and all the blame will be deflected
the forests will be unprotected
the nation’s poor will be neglected
creation myth is resurrected
a new salute is genuflected
a gallup poll will be respected
a gallows pole will be erected
all this will go undetected
while you all slumbered
we sat and crunched numbers
of all the causalities we could afford
there’s no need to draft them
you could hear us laugh then
the poor and black all need the room and board
did I say that
out loud
it was a gag
it was all for a laugh
and now our very nation has been blown in half
fun and games
we’re just pulling legs
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg
we knew this barrel of fun
would be a powderkeg
it’s a powderkeg
******************************************
Enough said.
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