Recording with John Petkovic (Death Of Samantha; Cobra Verde) reminded me of this song I recorded with one of two best rhythm sections I've ever worked with---Stoo Odom and Marco Villalobos (Graves Brothers Deluxe, Mahikari, The Residents, Thin White Rope, Noel Redding).
I had written a "topical song" in 2009 (it's still, alas, topical today) about the healthcase crisis, and the debate over "Single Payer Healthcare plan"--for The Thom Hartmann show on Air America (when we still believed it had a fighting chance of being passed). I had originally set the words to the tune of Eddie Chochran's "Summertime Blues" (in classic Mad Magazine meets Weird Al Yankovich fashion),
but Stoo Odom pointed out to me how Pere Ubu's "Final Solution" is based on "Summertime Blues." We all loved the music to the Pere Ubu song, so we recorded it that way too. The video is just a placeholder, but I love the SOUND of this band.
I'm not saying my looks are nearly as good as the original, only that I can't even perform the original anymore, because my own words are so buried in my psyche, so here they are:
Well, I'm gonna raise a fuss about the greedy folks who rob us
I'm gonna take my problems to Senator Baucus
Well, I tried to file a claim: "Ain't my coverage up to date?"
No, the payment center said your last premium was late.
Well, the doc was gonna cure me, yeah, he made the fist incision,
When his boss yelled, "Stop, he's got a pre-existing c-c-condition!"
I went to my congressman, and she said--quote--
"Those guys vote with money, you may only with your vote."
A Rat done bit my sister nell, my mother's getting sick.
Her face and arms began to swell, they say blame Michael Vick.
Well, the doctors she could pay for only made things that much worse
you can't get cancer treatment on the wages of a nurse...
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