I am reposting this song by Tom Waits that I first heard over 15 years ago because it seems particularly apropos now about the greed and selfishness-infested state of the US in our time, especially the first stanza, where I take ‘the ship is sinking’ as a metaphor for the US.
I’d sell your heart to the junk-man baby for a buck, for a buck
If you’re looking for someone to pull you out of that ditch, you’re out of luck, you’re out of luck
The ship is sinking, the ship is sinking, the ship is sinking
There’s a leak, there’s a leak in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business.
Someone noticed the remarkable similarity between the voices of Waits and Cookie Monster and made a mashup of Cookie’s scenes from Sesame Street with Waits singing the song. For me the words carry even more weight when seemingly sung by the beloved muppet.
Since it is hard to make out the words sometimes, here are the lyrics.
I’d sell your heart to the junk-man baby for a buck, for a buck
If you’re looking for someone to pull you out of that ditch, you’re out of luck, you’re out of luck
The ship is sinking, the ship is sinking, the ship is sinking
There’s a leak, there’s a leak in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves and lawyers God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.Digging up the dead with a shovel and a pick, it’s a job, it’s a job
Bloody moon rising with a plague and a flood, join the mob, join the mob
It’s all over, it’s all over, it’s all over
There’s a leak, there’s a leak, in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.
God’s away, God’s away, on business. Business.[Instrumental Break]
Goddamn there’s always such a big temptation to be good, to be good
There’s always free cheddar in a mousetrap, baby, it’s a deal, it’s a deal
The ship is sinking, the ship is sinking, the ship is sinking
There’s a leak, there’s a leak in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.I narrow my eyes like a coin slot baby, let her ring, let her ring
It’s all over, it’s all over, it’s all over
There’s a leak, there’s a leak, in the boiler room
The poor, the lame, the blind
Who are the ones that we kept in charge?
Killers, thieves, and lawyers
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business.
God’s away, God’s away, God’s away on business. Business.
Huh, I always thought he sang* “Who are the ones that were left in charge?” Gives it a different meaning. I guess he’s trying to push the old “wait until tomorrow” message, not suggesting that an uncaring god should shoulder any responsibility for the state of the world.
*poetic license
The US has always seemed to me a wonderful ideal far from either greed or selfishness, promising liberty, fraternity and equality.
“America”, however, seems to be based on an entirely different set of ideals. it is patently greedy and selfish, murderous, inward looking, and carrying the sin of ‘manifest destiny’ while thinking it a virtue.
The US is not in a dire state. It is just less supported by its people than the “America” that is in charge.
Always loved this song. Tom Waits is a great artist.
Not sure if you were already aware, but Waits just recently released his first song in 15 years, “Boots on the Ground”. It’s a collab with Massive Attack and is an explicit protest against what’s happening right now in America and abroad.
Loved the Cookie Monster mashup
Tom Waits -- “Hell Broke Luce”
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=0Fju9o8BVJ8
It is about Jeff Luce, a marine who killed himself when he got home.
Nick Wrathall, liberty, fraternity and equality are French ideals.
Seth Meyers sums up the news:
“Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Plan Fails, Spirit Collapses, GOP Redraws Congressional Maps”
.https://youtube.com/watch?v=GIkmd3M4GLU
Trump: “It’s a friendly blockade”
anat @ 6.
From the Declaration of Independence of July 4, 1776….(emphasis mine):
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness….
That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor [sic].
So the ideals proposed in the Declaration of Independence, are, in order emphasized, equality, liberty and a lack of enmity between the members of the union, or if you like, fraternity.
@Nick Wrathall, anat
“Fraternity”: you mean, like with the frat boys currently in charge? That attitude is certainly prevalent at the moment. Don’t know if it’s a “promise”, though.