Ballad Of The Republicans By Paul Steven Stone

In the Somerville News:



Lyrical Somerville edited by Doug Holder


Paul Steven Stone is a local writer, and he wrote these lyrics to a new song "Ballad of the Republicans." Stone is the Creative Director for W.B. Mason and a member of Somerville's Bagel Bards. To have your work considered for the Lyrical send it to Doug Holder 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143 dougholder@post.harvard.edu



Ballad Of The Republicans

By Paul Steven Stone



Hear the bombs bursting all through the night

Bush is bombing Baghdad, says he has the right

Thousands will die like many thousands before

Only problem is they'll never know what for...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Where men like Lincoln once took a stand

But now they took all that they could

Pretending it was for our good

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



The stealing starts on election night

Bush flies to victory on a Florida flight

Though exit polls say in fact he lost to Gore

Supremes give him the crown and so much more...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Eight years of plunder down in Washington

And now they hope that you'll forget

All the blunders, crimes and debt...

That for eight long years nearly brought this country down!



The CIA says Bin Laden will strike

But Bush is out that day riding his bike

Not till 9/11 does he figure out the score

Sees thousands lying dead, Twin Towers no more...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Rumsfeld, Rice and Cheney take a stand

Take us to Iraq thru Afghanistan

And can't take our asses out again

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



Did you see the scowl on Dick Cheney's face

When someone said torture is a human disgrace

That's no longer torture, he tells Fox news

Those Amnesty wimps are just singing the blues...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

They read our mail and tapped our phones

Said they could send anyone to jail

Then erased all White House email...

That showed eight long years of bringing this country down!



They never find any W.M.D.'s

They even search Abu Ghraib detainees

Turns out Saddam had run out of gas

And we're just bullies kicking his sorry ass...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Acting like the ugliest Americans

Paul Wolfowitz lusting at The Bank

Larry Craig tapping at toilet tanks

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



By now the middle class is feeling poor

Can't afford college or doctors anymore

Wages shrink but the rich keep getting fat

They even try to take social security back...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

They told us lies, rewarded their friends

Like Halliburton, Goldman Sachs and more

Then sent ill-equipped soldiers off to war

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



Back in New Orleans the wind starts to howl,

Water is a-rising, Brownie's on the prowl,

Bush is on a plane heading west for the coast

Flies over the waters just to see if blacks can float...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

They ran our country like a Christian scam

Tried to keep Terry Schiavo undead

Pulled the plug on stem cell research instead

For eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



Where are you when Wall Street gets the bends?

They're in the vault handing billions to their friends

Some of those billions simply disappear

The rest go to bonuses for needy millionaires

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

The ones who told us not to lie or sin

And then were caught with pants askew

Ensign, Foley, Vitter to name a few who...

In eight long years nearly brought this country down!

Then there's forgetful Alberto Gonzales

In all of Bush's gang none needs more solace

'Cept Harriet Miers in her Supreme Court mess

Or Scooter Libby lying for his V.P.-ness

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Said global warming would improve our tans

Their senior drug plan was so nice

'Cept they made the U.S. pay list price

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



Their biggest crime isn't Katrina or Iraq

Or turning U.S. Attorneys into G.O.P. hacks

Or leaving Afghanistan with the enemy still intact

It's torturing the truth till they break its damn back...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

Eight years of plunder down in Washington

They turned our surplus into debts

Gave shoddy care to wounded vets...

In eight long years they nearly brought this country down!



Now look at this mess the Bush gang leaves behind

Two wars in limbo, Wall Street flying blind

An economy gasping, the states in default

Obama tries to clean up and they claim it's all his fault...!

Here comes the ballad of the Republicans

They pray that you can just forgive their sins

And vote them back in power again

Forgetting all the lies, the graft and pain...

That for eight long years...eight god-forsaken years...nearly brought this country down!