Don't worry Miss Letty, I'm never too far away really.
We have a good TV station here called Sky Arts and tonight I watched a documentary about Leonard Bernstein's work, in particular musicals On the Town, Wonderful Town and West Side Story. It was told by the musicians and the singers, mainly. Mainly centred in New York and about the city. Quality stuff.
Punk don't age well, I find... So here's a cover of Crass' I Ain't Thick (it's just a trick) by Jeffrey Lewis. The text remains powerful.
Oh yeah? Well I've got it all up here, see?
Oh yeah? Oh yeah? When they think they've got it all out there, see?
They can **** off, cos they ain't got me, they can't buy my dignity,
Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Let me tell you, I've got it all up here?
Tried to get me with a T.V. show,
But I wouldn't have none of it, no, no, no.
Standards and values on a black and white screen,
Sarah Farah Fawcett [or Jessica Parker in Lewis’ version] acting mean.
She's got the lot, that's what they want you to think,
Read between the lines, you'll see the missing link.
She's just a ******* puppet in their indoctrination plan,
"Be like me girls and become a real man,"
Live to the full, always act flash,
Don't use your brains when your body makes the splash.
Oh yeah? Etc.
Tried to get me in the supermarket store,
Bought what I wanted, they they said "buy more."
Mountains of crap that nobody really needs,
Gaily coloured wrappers to suit assorted greeds.
They've got the lot, that's what they want you to think,
Read between the lines, you'll see the missing link.
Buy this product, pay for the crap,
Quarter for the product, three quarters for the wrap.
Be a happy family, like the people on the pack,
Pay up to the profit, and you'll never look back.
Oh yeah? Etc.
Tried to get me with their learning and their books,
Deep understanding and intelligent looks,
All of the time, they never saw me,
They were just looking for what they wanted to see.
They've got the lot, that's what they want you to think,
Read between the lines, you'll see the missing link.
Books are easy backs for what they want to do to you,
Bind you up in slavery for the privileged few,
They'll prove their lies with history, say "that's the way it always was,
Accept the **** and slavery, be one of us."
Oh yeah? Etc.
Tried to get me with religion and with Christ,
Said I'd get to heaven if I acted real nice,
But they were just preparing a crucifix for me,
A life of guilt, of sin, of pain, of holy misery.
They've got the lot, that's what they want you to think,
Read between the lines, you'll see the missing link.
The Bible's just a blue print for their morality scene,
Just another load of **** on how it's never been.
They stand there in the pulpit, doling out their lies,
Offering forgiveness, then they talk of eyes for eyes.
Oh yeah? Etc.
Tried to get me, but I won't be got,
Say I'm a misfit but I say I'm not,
I never set out to profit from another,
Those smarmy bastards would steal from their mother.
They've got the lot, that's what they want you to think,
Read between the lines, you'll see the missing link.
They plundered and slaughtered in the name of truth,
Acceptance of normality is what they want from you as proof,
They think they've got the answers, but there's something that they miss,
Their cup which overfloweth, is just filled up with piss.
