Page 18 - Contrast1991Spring
P. 18
Woody Guthrie Cadillac Attitude Blues
Now ye gotch-yer smog-belchin' Cadee-Iack and yer distributor'S
kickback on yer Am-way heaVY-duty, all-purpose, river-strangling goo,
and yer good deal on yer air freshner, yer dee-oderin soap
and yer National Forest timber (act now, only a buck a tree-
for a limited time only!)
ye ordered yer free copy of the Bill of Rights
from Phillip Morris Incorporated cos yer daughter
wrote their commercial that made ye proud
'bout how Red white and blue it is fer a rugged individual
to have the legal right t'grow tobaccer an smoke his'r'her
lungs t'cinders but nobody sure's hell better not burn no flag,
cos that's the very same star-studded
relic which ye just cain't wait to salute
ever time ye vote for yer favorite ploticians the right
honorable Mr. NRA, Mr. CIA, Mr. Pentagon, Mr. Wall Street,
Mr-Mrs-Miss Pro-Life But Bomb Those Goddamned
Abortion Clinics and Sock It To Those Filthy Comie
Profit-Sharin' Third World Rebels (they're all darkies anyway)
and when yer election's over yer jest a-rarin'
t'putchyer blood-stained hand on yer empty chest
and pledge allegiance to the dollar, sigh and sing
"Thank Reagan for Democracy"
yer just so happy to be saved, t'watch yer local telev-angel
graciously absolve ol-Jimmy Baker while he's got his hands
so deep in yer pockets that ye can feel him a-squeezing
yer crotch, and yer a-feeling safer fer his hand t'be there
cos ye know when yer old blond-haired, blue-eyed gardener
comes down to hoe out all those loose and sinful weeds
ye'li be well-rooted to that strong and sweaty hand
and don't get me wrong now, I won't blame ye fer bein' greedy
or scared, helil's both and more but one thing I ain't
is blind, and I wonder if I kin say that 'bout you-
13