chefmike
04-27-2006, 12:31 AM
When the President Talks to God
Romi Lassally
Conor Oberst's (aka Bright Eyes) song When The President Talks to God snuck up on me as I hit "shuffle songs" on my iPod during my morning walk with the dog. I'd heard this a few times before but for some reason this morning (forgive the pun) it spoke to me. Why wasn't this little ditty getting more notice and maybe even a little radio play?
Political views set to song have been a lively topic lately. The mainstream media and a feisty group of bloggers (including Huffpost's own Christopher J. Farley, Steve Young and Brad Friedman) have highlighted the fact that artists -- both current and classic -- are (and have been doing this for years) spreading their anti-war sentiment with song. But why are Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Madonna and those damn Dixie Chicks getting all the press? Why isn't there more talk about this 24-year-old lad and his brief but oh-so-pointed elegy to Bush? Sure, there was a flurry of attention after Oberst's performance on Jay Leno last year. But I would have expected more of a brouhaha.
Maybe the fact that the song is simply filled with questions (with nary an answer in sight) renders it whiney to some, an exercise in frustration to others. To me, the questions echoed my own and made me wonder why, in a song about the President, we were asking them in the first place.
Take a look (and then take a listen at www.plyrics.com). Maybe you'll even be inspired to add a stanza or two of your own...
When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women's' rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends
When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God
When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?
I doubt it
I doubt it
this article and it's related links here-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/romi-lassally/when-the-president-talks-_b_19868.html
Romi Lassally
Conor Oberst's (aka Bright Eyes) song When The President Talks to God snuck up on me as I hit "shuffle songs" on my iPod during my morning walk with the dog. I'd heard this a few times before but for some reason this morning (forgive the pun) it spoke to me. Why wasn't this little ditty getting more notice and maybe even a little radio play?
Political views set to song have been a lively topic lately. The mainstream media and a feisty group of bloggers (including Huffpost's own Christopher J. Farley, Steve Young and Brad Friedman) have highlighted the fact that artists -- both current and classic -- are (and have been doing this for years) spreading their anti-war sentiment with song. But why are Neil Young, Pearl Jam, Madonna and those damn Dixie Chicks getting all the press? Why isn't there more talk about this 24-year-old lad and his brief but oh-so-pointed elegy to Bush? Sure, there was a flurry of attention after Oberst's performance on Jay Leno last year. But I would have expected more of a brouhaha.
Maybe the fact that the song is simply filled with questions (with nary an answer in sight) renders it whiney to some, an exercise in frustration to others. To me, the questions echoed my own and made me wonder why, in a song about the President, we were asking them in the first place.
Take a look (and then take a listen at www.plyrics.com). Maybe you'll even be inspired to add a stanza or two of your own...
When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women's' rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
I wonder which one plays the better cop
We should find some jobs. the ghetto's broke
No, they're lazy, George, I say we don't
Just give 'em more liquor stores and dirty coke
That's what God recommends
When the president talks to God
Do they drink near beer and go play golf
While they pick which countries to invade
Which Muslim souls still can be saved?
I guess god just calls a spade a spade
When the president talks to God
When the president talks to God
Does he ever think that maybe he's not?
That that voice is just inside his head
When he kneels next to the presidential bed
Does he ever smell his own bullshit
When the president talks to God?
I doubt it
I doubt it
this article and it's related links here-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/romi-lassally/when-the-president-talks-_b_19868.html