Here is a new song about the fucked-up state of our state. It’s inspired by one insipid billionare, in the service of an orange (insipid) billionaire, working for all their billionaire buddies to immiserate what’s left of the working class in the United States. And yet, even a big, ugly cynic like me can’t help but feel some hope, so it also offers some gentle guidance about how we might band together and fight back.

The first verse came to me in the shower, and the rest fell into place after I dried off enough to grab a guitar and figure out the chords, which I had hoped would turn out to fit over a traditional 12-bar blues. I had to spread the vocal recording out over 4 days, as I could only do a few takes before blowing out my voice. Looking back at the stuff I’ve written and recorded over the years, there are very few songs in 12-bar form. Even so, because I can’t help but muck about with the format, the first, a cappella verse skips the 12th bar to jump right in to the second verse.

I’m currently working on an album of (mostly) non-political songs that is a collection of “full” studio recordings of songs from my one successful and one failed Jamuary projects, so this track will be part of the follow-up album, which will almost certainly be packed with protest songs. But given the urgency of the shit-show going on all around us, I figured I would release it early.

The track is available for download on my Bandcamp page, if you’d like to support this little hobby of mine. But you can also just grab it from here if you’d like.

Lyrics

Have you carried water for billionaires
Who’d toss their own mothers down the stairs?
Have you licked the boots of the powerful
And pledged allegiance to an asshole?
Have you carried water for billionaires? 

Have you decided who gets rights today,
Or decided which people get wished away,
Ignored how history always goes,
And found a scapegoat for all your woes?
Have you carried water for billionaires?

Have you got the memory of a goldfish now,
You saw we got here but can’t say how?
Have you chipped away at democracy
By making the Perfect the Good’s enemy?
Have you carried water for billionaires?

Have you nonchalantly moved the line
Between outrage and what feels fine?
Have you given an inch for every mile?
Have you been snoozing all the while?
Have you carried water for billionaires?

Do you keep your hope secured away
‘Till someone comes to save us someday?
Can you face what always may have been true
That your boldest savior might just be you?
Can you spit in the face of billionaires?

Have you heard the roar when we speak as one,
When we help each other and get shit done?
Have you felt peace of mind and clarity
When we stand together in solidarity?
It’s the only way to beat the billionaires!
It’s the only way to beat the billionaires!