2008-08-26

A Few Words On "A Few Words In A Defense Of Our Country" By Randy Newman

I'm on record as saying that the American coming to an end is over stated. I could be wrong I know but it's a hunch I got based on my own personal experiences with life and knowledge of history.

No doubt America is on a down cycle but is this to be taken as the decline of an empire? Assuming it is an empire of course.

One of America's true great singer/songwriter Randy Newman thinks otherwise. It seems that the decline is already underway and a forgone conclusion for Newman.

I simply love the songs and lyrics of Randy Newman. His latest album 'Harps and Angels' has already been acclaimed and here are the lyrics to one song relating to the topic at hand in this post.

To be honest I have no idea what he's driving at about "a couple of young Italian fellas" alluding to Scalia and Alito on the Supreme Court. Scalia is conservative but one who holds principles closely aligned with Alexander Hamilton - which makes him a strong Federalist I suppose. Alito is considered a moderate conservative. Do they deserve the "tight ass" moniker? The "brother" he refers to is obviously Clarence Thomas. Is Newman taking issue with their conservative values?

A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country lyrics

I’d like to say a few words
In defense of our country
Whose people aren’t bad nor are they mean
Now the leaders we have
While they’re the worst that we’ve had
Are hardly the worst this poor world has seen

Let’s turn history’s pages, shall we?

Take the Caesars for example
Why within the first few of them
They were sleeping with their sister
Stashing little boys in swimming pools
And burning down the City
And one of ‘em, one of 'em
Appointed his own horse Consul of the Empire
That’s like vice president or something

That’s not a very good example, is it?

But wait, here’s one, the Spanish Inquisition
They put people in a terrible position
I don’t even like to think about it

Well, sometimes I like to think about it

Just a few words in defense of our country
Whose time at the top
Could be coming to an end
Now we don’t want their love
And respect at this point is pretty much out of the question
But in times like these
We sure could use a friend

Hitler. Stalin.
Men who need no introduction

King Leopold of Belgium. That’s right.
Everyone thinks he’s so great
Well he owned The Congo
He tore it up too
He took the diamonds, he took the gold
He took the silver
Know what he left them with?

Malaria

A President once said,
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself"
Now it seems like we’re supposed to be afraid
It’s patriotic in fact and color coded
And what are we supposed to be afraid of?
Why, of being afraid
That’s what terror means, doesn’t it?
That’s what it used to mean

[To the first eight bars of "Columbia The Gem Of The Ocean"]

You know it pisses me off a little
That this Supreme Court is gonna outlive me
A couple of young Italian fellas and a brother on the Court now too
But I defy you, anywhere in the world
To find me two Italians as tightass as the two Italians we got

And as for the brother
Well, Pluto’s not a planet anymore either

The end of an empire is messy at best
And this empire is ending
Like all the rest
Like the Spanish Armada adrift on the sea
We’re adrift in the land of the brave
And the home of the free

Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye.

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