Favorite Quotes: George Orwell – Homage to Catalonia

“Many of the normal motives of civilized life – snobbishness, money-grubbing, fear of the boss, etc. – had simply ceased to exist…One had been in a community where hope was more normal than apathy or cynicism, where the word ‘comrade’ stood for comradeship and not, as in most countries, for humbug. One had breathed the air of equality…For the Spanish militias, while they lasted, were a sort of microcosm of a classless society.”

Copyright 1952 by Sonia Brownell Orwell
Copyright renewed 1980 by Sonia Brownell Orwell
Photo: Mariner Books (October 22, 1980)

Favorite Quotes: Hunter S. Thompson – Generation of Swine – Gonzo Papers Vol. 2

“Political gibberish is not a purely American art form, like jazz and safety blitz. But in only 200 years we have raised it to a level of eloquence beyond anything since the time of the Caesars or even Genghis Khan.”

copyright 1988 by Hunter S. Thompson

photo: Simon & Schuster

Favorite Lyrics: Bruce Cockburn – “Grim Travelers”

Ministers meet — work on the movement of goods
Also work on the movement of capital
Also work on the movement of human beings
As if we were so many cattle

Grim travellers in dawn skies
See the beauty — makes you cry inside
Makes you angry and you don’t know why
Grim travellers in dawn skies

Twelve mercenaries got weapons primed
Gonna take that African nation in record time
You wonder why they bother, why not leave it alone
They say, “Every man wants to retire to a place he can call his own”

Those grim travellers in dawn skies
See the beauty — makes them cry inside
Makes them angry and they don’t know why
Grim travellers in dawn skies

Redness, richer than a rose
Blooms against the backdrop of somebody’s white clothes
Bitter little girls and boys from the Red Army Underground
They’d blow away Karl Marx if he had the nerve to come around

They’re just grim travellers in dawn skies
See the beauty — makes them cry inside
Makes them angry and they don’t know why
They’re grim travellers in dawn skies

Down on the plain of 10,000 smokestacks
Trucks butt each other to establish dominance
The newspaper next to me leans over and says matter-of-factly
“Sacred mountains towers above meadows” – uh huh – and above us

Grim travellers in dawn skies
I see the beauty — makes me cry inside
It makes me angry and I don’t know why
We’re grim travellers in dawn skies

Lyrics courtesy of cockburnproject.net
written by Bruce Cockburn for the album “Humans” (2003)
song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT282nIbxd8
artist: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bruce-Cockburn
photo: Rounder Select

Favorite Lyrics: Leonard Cohen – “Democracy”

It’s coming through a hole in the air
From those nights in Tiananmen Square
It’s coming from the feel
That this ain’t exactly real
Or it’s real, but it ain’t exactly there
From the war against disorder
From the sirens night and day
From the fires of the homeless
From the ashes of the gay
Democracy is coming to the USA

It’s coming through a crack in the wall
On a visionary flood of alcohol
From the staggering account
Of the Sermon on the Mount
Which I don’t pretend to understand at all
It’s coming from the silence
On the dock of the bay
From the brave, the bold, the battered
Heart of Chevrolet
Democracy is coming to the USA

It’s coming from the sorrow in the street
The holy places where the races meet
From the homicidal bitchin’
That goes down in every kitchen
To determine who will serve and who will eat
From the wells of disappointment
Where the women kneel to pray
For the grace of God in the desert here
And the desert far away
Democracy is coming to the USA

Sail on, sail on
O mighty ship of state
To the shores of need
Past the reefs of greed
Through the squalls of hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on

It’s coming to America first
The cradle of the best and of the worst
It’s here they got the range
And the machinery for change
And it’s here they got the spiritual thirst
It’s here the family’s broken
And it’s here the lonely say
That the heart has got to open
In a fundamental way
Democracy is coming to the USA

It’s coming from the women and the men
Oh baby, we’ll be making love again
We’ll be going down so deep
The river’s going to weep
And the mountain’s going to shout, “Amen”
It’s coming like the tidal flood
Beneath the lunar sway
Imperial, mysterious
In amorous array
Democracy is coming to the USA

Sail on, sail on
O mighty ship of state
To the shores of need
Past the reefs of greed
Through the squalls of hate
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on

I’m sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can’t stand the scene
And I’m neither left or right
I’m just staying home tonight
Getting lost in that hopeless little screen
But I’m stubborn as those garbage bags
That time cannot decay
I’m junk but I’m still holding up this little wild bouquet
Democracy is coming to the USA
To the USA

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Leonard Cohen for the album The Future (1992)
Democracy lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y
artist website: https://www.leonardcohen.com/
photo: Columbia Records

Favorite Lyrics: Tori Amos – “Giant’s Rolling Pin”

Beth and Marlene’s pies
With help from Caroline
After just one slice
You can uncover any lie
That’s why the NSA
And now the FBI
Want to be the ones who control
Beth and Marlene’s pies
With help from Caroline
So basically that’s why

I’m off to find the giant’s rolling pin
Legend says it does exist
If you don’t stop looking for it
I’m off to find the giant’s rolling pin
Legend says it will bake for the world
(Oh it will yes it really will)

In case we have
Rolled out our little world too flat
Then the giant’s rolling pin
Will roll the truth out
So that the whole world can dig in
To Beth and Marlene’s pies

Everybody spies
So why the big surprise?
That is why the working woman
Well deserves a slice
(Mississippi mud or Key lime?)
But now the nice taxman
In every state has tried
To say that it’s in his jurisdiction to decide
Who gets a bit of pie
So honestly that’s why

I’m off to find the giant’s rolling pin
Legend says it does exist
If we don’t stop looking for it
I’m off to find the giant’s rolling pin
Legend says it will bake for the world
(Oh it will yes it really will)

If in fact we had
Rolled our little world too flat
Then the giant’s rolling pin
Would roll the truth out
So that the whole world can dig in
The whole world can dig in
To Beth and Marlene’s pies
With help from Caroline
For a window of time you can see through any lie
With help from Caroline
And the giant’s rolling pin

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Amos Tori for the album “Unrepentant Geraldines” (2014)
Giant’s Rolling Pin lyrics © Sword And Stone Publishing
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuT3k2BuJsY
the artist: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tori-amos-mn0000792530/biography
photo: Mercury Classics

Favorite Lyrics: The Clash – “Remote Control”

Who needs remote control?
From the Civic Hall
Push a button
Activate
You gotta work and you’re late

It’s so grey in London town
Panda car crawling around
Here it comes
Eleven o’clock
Where can we go now?

Can’t make no noise
Can’t get no gear
Can’t make no money
Can’t get outta here

Big business, it don’t like you
It don’t like the things you do
You got no money
So you got no power
They think you’re useless
And so you are, punk

They had a meeting in Mayfair
They got you down and wanna keep you there
It makes them worried
Their bank accounts
It’s all that matters
You don’t count

Can’t make no progress
Can’t get ahead
Can’t stop the regress
Don’t wanna be dead

Look out, those rules and regulations

Who needs the Parliament?
Sitting making laws all day
They’re all fat and old
Queuing for the House of Lords

Repression, gonna start on Tuesday
Repression, gonna be a Dalek
Repression, I am a robot
Repression, I obey

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Joe Strummer / Mick Jones / Paul Simonon / Topper Headon for the album: “The Clash” (1977)
Remote Control lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLZ-TPRZzrk
artist website: https://www.theclash.com/
photo: CBS

Favorite Lyrics: Bruce Cockburn – “Trickle Down”

Picture on magazine boardroom pop star
Pinstripe prophet of pecker head greed

You say, “Trust me with the money, the keys to the universe”
Trickle down will give us everything we need

Brand new century private penitentiary
Bank vault utopia padded for the few

And it’s tumors for the masses coughing for the masses
Earphones for the masses and they all serve you

Trickle down give ’em the business
Trickle down supposed to give us the goods
Cups held out to catch a bit of the bounty
Trickle down everywhere trickle down blood

What used to pass for education now looks more like ignoration
Take the people’s money and slip it to the corporation

Yellow rain golden shower pesticide firepower
Summon feudal demons of sweatshop subjugation

Workfare foul air homeless beggars everywhere
Picture phone aristocrats lounge around the pool

Captains of industry smiling beneficently
Leaking hole supertanker ship of fools

Trickle down give me the business
Trickle down supposed to give us the goods
Cups held out to catch a bit of the bounty
Trickle down everywhere trickle down blood

Take over take down big bucks shakedown
Schoolyard pusher offer anything for profit

First got to privatize then you get to piratize
Hooked on avarice, how do we get off it?

Trickle down give me the business
Trickle down supposed to give us the goods
Cups held out to catch a bit of the bounty
Trickle down everywhere trickle down blood

Trickle down give me the business
Trickle down supposed to give us the goods
Cups held out to catch a bit of the bounty
Trickle down everywhere trickle down blood
Trickle down

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bruce Cockburn / Andrew Milne / Carl Walker for the album “You’ve Never Seen Everything” (2003)
Trickle Down lyrics © Missing Link Music, Carlin America Inc
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1TA0i-AHTY
artist bio: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bruce-cockburn-mn0000631579/biography
photo: True North

Favorite Lyrics – Frank Zappa – “Trouble Coming Every Day

Well, I’m about to get sick
From watchin’ my TV
Been checkin’ out the news until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day is just another rotten mess
And when it’s gonna change, my friends, is anybody’s guess

So I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay that trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay that trouble comin’ every day

Wednesday I watched the riot, I seen the cops out on the street
Watched ’em throwin’ rocks and stuff and chokin’ in the heat
Listened to reports about the whisky passin’ ’round
Seen the smoke and fire and the market burnin’ down
Watched while everybody on his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash and slash and bust and burn

And I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay that trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay that trouble comin’ every day

Well, you can cool it you can heat it
‘Cause, baby, I don’t need it
Take your TV tube and eat it
And all that phony stuff on sports and all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box until my head began to hurt
From checkin’ out the way the newsmen say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so, further they assert
That any show they’ll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They’ll be the first to tell
Because the boys they got downtown are workin’ hard and doin’ swell
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street they say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can’t be beat
And if another woman driver
Gets machine-gunned from her seat
They’ll send some joker with a brownie and you’ll see it all complete

So I’m watchin’ and I’m waitin’
Hopin’ for the best
Even think I’ll go to prayin’
Every time I hear ’em sayin’
That there’s no way to delay that trouble comin’ every day
No way to delay that trouble comin’ every day

Hey, you know something people?
I’m not black but there’s a whole lots a times I wish I could say I’m not white

Well, I seen the fires burnin’ and the local people turnin’
On the merchants and the shops who used to sell their brooms and mops
And every other household item
Watched the mob just turn and bite ’em
And they say it served ’em right
Because a few of them are white
And it’s the same across the nation, black and white discrimination
Yellin’ “you can’t understand me!”
And all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV and all that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
‘Cause the color of your skin
Just don’t appeal to him
No matter if it’s black or white because he’s out for blood tonight

You know we gotta sit around at home and watch this thing begin
But I bet there won’t be many left to see it really end
‘Cause the fire in the street ain’t like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people don’t you know that this could start?
On any street, in any town, in any state if any clown
Decides that now’s the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree, there ain’t no great society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn’t free
And the law refuse to see if all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
Just won’t amount to nothin’ more
Than watchin’ rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
Blow your harmonica, son!

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Frank Zappa for the album “Freakout!” (1966)
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=girnJH7tvpM
artist bio: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/frank-zappa-mn0000138699/biography
photo: Verve Records

Favorite Lyrics: AJJ Band – “Normalization Blues”

I can feel my brain a-changin’, acclimating to the madness
I can feel my outrage shift into a dull, despondent sadness
I can feel a crust growing over my eyes like a falcon hood
I’ve got the normalization blues
This isn’t normal, this isn’t good

I’m detached and I’m distracted
All keyed up but unproductive
Vacillating between being all excited and disgusted
And then dozing lackadaisically in this bubble
Where I’ve made my mental home
Connection’s more important now than it ever was
But I’d rather be alone

And when we talk about the president
We’re either pissed off or we’re giggling
About an atrocity he’s committing
Or some stupid shit he’s tweeting
He’s a symptom and a weapon of the evil men
Who really run the show
The ones who melt down human beings into money
Like a cruel Sorcerer’s Stone

They try to divide us
And largely they’re succeeding
‘Cause they’ve undermined our confidence
In the news that we are reading
And they make us fight each other
With our faces buried deep inside our phones
Rest in peace to the Information Age
Those days are now long dead and gone

I can see the weather changing
And I can feel the soul decaying
I’m observing drastic changes
In the way we’re all behaving
I can see the sooth they’re saying
Furthermore I could believe it to be true
Connection’s more important now than it ever was
Buddy, what are you gonna do

This is the golden age of dick-otry
Probably the last golden age of anything
And the ugliest word in the English language is Anthropocene
Good luck, everybody
Good luck

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Ben Gallaty / Sean Bonnette for the album “Good Luck Everybody” (2020)
Normalization Blues lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EDVM73bU-w
band bio: https://www.allmusic.com/artist/andrew-jackson-jihad-mn0000585437/biography
photo: AJJ LLC

Happy New Year 2021

Lets find common ground

Lets help each other succeed

Lets think less about borders and more about cooperation

Lets think less about terror and more about supplying hope

Lets think less about differences and more about similarities

Lets think less about problems and more about solutions

It’s not about right and wrong, good and bad, us and them (these are always divisive terms and haven’t we got enough of that!) but about making the planet more habitable for all.

Now more than ever we need a bill of basic human rights that all countries can agree to and contribute to so that everyone benefits (you know, things like: phase one: healthcare, housing, food, water – phase two: freedom of religion, speech, sexual orientation, etc.) We need a UN whose sole aim is to see this bill of rights implemented universally. Wars and other acts of aggression would violate people’s rights and would put the perpetrator in violation).

Until we find a way to overcome our perceived differences (because its so much about perception) we will not progress as a species and most certainly destroy ourselves (possibly taking the planet with us). Cynically, I see humans as a cancer upon planet earth. Positively, I want to believe that we have choice and reason which can potentially remedy (probably not entirely cure) the cancer of our tribal and carnivorous natures.

– written by jbm 1/1/2017

ipod photo: jbm 2019