Election indignities

“Ridiculous”

Song by Nellie McKay

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Actual footage of what Americans go through in many parts of the country just to vote set to the music of Nellie McKay.

The news media and politicians go out of their way every year to shame US voters for not voting at the same rate as people in other parts of the world.

When the lines are like this – by design – and the hours are scheduled to make it difficult for working people – by design – what do you expect?

The lyrics to McKay’s song are not about elections, but they are about the kinds of things people want and are repeatedly told they can’t get.

LYRICS to her song “Ridiculous”

i want clean water (you’re being ridiculous)
i like fresh air (you’re being absurd)
i guess i oughta (guys don’t be assholes)
forget to care (better than petulance)
i dig plant farmers (narcissists)
not GMOs (it’s not that big a deal)
& marijuana (it needs further study)
just let it grow (there you go again)
who will provide

rara ridiculous
haha you’re hopelessly naive
to believe in a world that exists
lala we’re having fun
wawa disaster capitalists
& the system’s not broken it’s fixed

i won’t encourage (what is it this time)
the TPP (it’s not all bad)
or health insurance (it’s working it’s working)
insanity (just give it time)
no private prisons (how you gonna pay for it)
or public hell (two sides to every story)
give war provisions (they know what they’re doing)
a fat farewell (what about the terrorists)
who will provide

rara ridiculous
haha you’re hopelessly naive
to believe in a world that exists
yaya we’re having fun
chacha the incrementalist twist
but the system’s not broken it’s fixed

you shoulda listened to your kids
not corporate nationalists
nor fortunate fantasists who ill disguise their proto-fascist fist
you can’t remember who to blame
those you hate or those you agree with
but the latter is hard to resist

missing ballots / lack of coverage
shortened hours / smears & bomb scares
closed primaries / endless waitlines / big money bribes
call election day beforehand
now stop the count
Bernie you gotta admit she won fair and square right?
i’ll give you a very short answer: NO

i want my daughter (you’re being ridiculous)
to grow up strong (you just hate women)
but endless slaughter (what about Trump)
ain’t feminism (you just want Trump)
no border trauma (I’m baffled I just don’t understand)
or muslim bans (be quiet)
i wish Obama would stop bombing them (there you go again)
who will survive

rara our parents said
haha our grandparents & friends
as they echoed establishment press
wawa you sold us out
& now you wonder why we’re pissed
cause our future’s not broken it’s fixed

 

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