I STILL LIKE OBAMA

I still like Obama

Even though I know now he was not as good as we thought he was

In fact, he was not good at all

But I still like Obama

I still like Obama 'cause I still wanna believe in hope and that we can be

Better than we are, and better than we were, and better than Obama turned out to be

We can change, we can be anything we wanna be

So I still like Obama even though he killed civilians with drones

And expanded the surveillance state and infringed upon our freedoms

He looked so good on a screen

Maybe that's all we want, maybe that's all we need, maybe that's all we want

I don't know I'm just trying to be the best me I can be

And I gotta believe that so is Obama

So I still like Obama and I don't think that he is to blame for what happened after him

Because we are responsible for our reactions to whatever happens

We are adults and we're responsible

We are adults are we're responsible

Some of us are children but the rest of us are not

And we need to be who we are, we need to be who we are

So I still like Obama

I listened to the entirety of his podcast with Bruce Springsteen

And I know I am precisely the target audience

And I recognize it had a lot of problems

Because two wealthy members of the elite, regardless of their backgrounds

Cannot identify with being outsiders

But I still liked the podcast

And I still like Bruce Springsteen

And I…I…I…

Despite all that has happened since

And all that has not happened yet

And everything I've grown to understand about politics and humanity

I…I…I…I still like Obama

50 STATES WITH 50 SHAPES

Let it all hang out in Florida

Keep it crazy, keep it loud

Or hold it in in Minnesota

Under a thick emotional shroud

Idaho, ho boy ho joy

You’re armed and you are free

Montana you are too with ranches

Wyoming too, also with ranches

It’s all good, it’s all right, it’s all white

Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska

We got federal farm agricultural subsidies a-plenty for ya

Grow some soybeans and some corn

Fight for God and the unborn

It’s all good, it’s all right, it’s all white

50 states with 50 ways to be

Some are shameful, some disdainful

Some for you and some for me

Whatever it is you’re after It’s in the land of the so-called free

We got 50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be

New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and New Mexico

The sequel’s never as good as the original

We got Connecticut for pills and cash

Maine for when you need to crash

Massachusetts, choose it and you’ll be a Masshole soon

Haunted vacant South and North Dakota

Blood on your hands, blood in your soil

Blood in Texas too (and also oil)

Oklahoma, Jesus loves you

Mississippi, God does too

It’s an odyssey from slavery to genocide to Christ

California was so peaceful ‘till the people and the cars

Arizona, pretty sweet in the desert under stars

Burning dead and burning far from whatever it is we are

50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be

Oregon and Washington, granola/libertarian

Nevada for the silver and the bets and the sex

The mess of Colorado for the rich and for the drunk

Maryland was merry, but it also stunk

For a fee, Tennessee

A tragic flaw, Arkansas

We got Georgia for ya, racists in a swamp

Louisiana, better food, also racists in a swamp

Misery in Missouri

Corruption in Kentucky

Michigan is pretty nice

Wisconsin, good for fishin’

Pennsylvania, no one can blame ya

Oh me oh my oh

What a specific place to live your life

Your one and only precious life

Oh tell me we or why oh

Would you live it in Ohio?

Alaska, the final frontier

Hawaii, Europeans don’t belong here

Carolina North, better than Carolina South of course

It’d be nice to live in Utah

Virginia, old dominion

West Virginia, west dominion

Vermont is verdant, gentle, kind, and cold

Rhode Island, not an island, but it’s old

From the country to the city, it’s a joy in Illinois

Alabama, Indiana, get out of you can

Delaware, so easy to forget it’s even there

50 states with 50 ways to be

Some are shameful, some disdainful

Some for you and some for me

Whatever it is you’re after

It’s in the land of the so-called free

We got 50 states with 50 shapes and 50 ways to be

I MISS THE PANDEMIC SO MUCH

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

I miss the roads being open, I miss how everything closed

I miss how everyone I know was doing nothing

The skies were so clear like before the people were here

I could see the mountains behind the mountains behind the mountains

And the birds were louder than they’ve ever been before

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

And yeah, I know there was a lot of suffering

But all there is every day is suffering

Whether there’s a pandemic on or not

We were all in in together

We were together for a little bit there

We grew out our hair, we got on our computers

And we connected more than ever before

And it was my favorite time on the planet

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

I miss the pandemic so much, I miss everything about it

COSTCO

I’m going to Costco

That’s where I wanna go

I’m going to Costco

That’s where I wanna go

Astonishing deals

I like a little Costco in most of my meals

Don’t tell me how to live my life

And I won’t tell you how to live yours

I’m going to Costco

That’s where I wanna go

I’m going to Costco

I’m not asking questions

Like where does the meat come from

And why is it all wrapped in plastic?

I’m not asking questions

I’m going to Costco

Toothpaste for a year

I’m going to Costco

For 500 beers

Nothing else makes sense

They just raised my rent again

I cannot afford it

Plus my car payment, plus gasoline

Even gas at Costco has gotten expensive

You know what I mean

Forget eating out

Forget doing anything fun now

That’s how it is

And that’s where we are

So get in the car ‘cause we’re goin to Costco

We’re gonna eat samples

We’re goin to Costco

The portions are ample

We’re goin to Costco

For a glasses prescription

We’re goin to Costco

For a glasses prescription

We’re goin to Costco

For a spending/shopping conniption

FIGHTING THE WHITE MAN

I’m Connie Chan

Do you know who I am?

I’m a local governor

I’m a virtue signaller

I’m Connie Chan

Do you know who I am?

I’m a neo-liberal

I’m a virtue signaller

I’m Connie Chan

I’m lookin out for my constituency

At least the ones who are the same as me

We’re a sensitive community

In our multi-million dollar homes that we own

We’re a sensitive community

We’re a sensitive community

I’m Connie Chan

I’m livin’ the American dream

I pulled the ladder up after me

We’re a sensitive community

I’m Connie Chan

Do you know who I am?

I’m fighting the white man

I’m fighting the white man

I’m fighting the white man

THE WHITE MAN

I am the white man, I have a dentist that I see

Consistently, twice a year, for an agreed upon fee

I am the white man, I have investments

And portfolios that are managed by a white man, whom I pay

Anyway I am a lot like you

I have a family too

I have a lot I am afraid of

I never owned a slave

That was long time ago

I only go to work and drive and fill my tank with gasoline

And drive some more

I am the white man

I have white privilege and fragility

That’s what they tell me so I guess I do

It’s best not to argue

And oh: we should consider reparations

But oh: there are a lot of complications

And the interracial couples on the Super Bowl commercials

Make me feel irrelevant, make me feel confused

About what I should feel and think and do now

I am the white man, I take vacations and PTO

I work so hard, it’s only fair I take some time off for me

I am the white man, I have a white wife

And white kids in an off white house

I guess it’s beige or maybe just tan

I am the white man

(And I compensate the Mexicans)

I am the white man

(Who blow the leaves and clean the house)

I am the white man

(I exchange my money for their labor)

I am the white man

BROWN MEN SOUTH OF BROWNSVILLE

Mother and father had a great life

They had enough to raise the six of us right

Now mother is gone and dad may as well be

He got hooked on the pills when he injured his knee

My sister’s gone heathen, she votes Democrat

The rest of us don’t know what to make about that

My brother lost his business when Obama came in

And my other brother just started drinking again

Blame the brown men south of Brownsville

Blame the brown men south of Brownsville

Joe Rogan turned us onto the Covid hoax

Yeah, I’ve heard all the pedophile liberal jokes

But I know the truth when I hear it straight out

Of a wrestler stand up comedian’s mouth

In the ivory tower they call us all dumb

They make fun of our God, our belief, and our guns

I can’t wait to wipe off that smirk when we come

Give ‘em what they’re bargaining for

Them and the brown men south of Brownsville

The brown men south of Brownsville

We did what they told us, we followed the rules

Now they think that we’re stupid

They think that we’re fools

They think that we can’t see the games that they play

How the J-sixer patriots are all locked away

How the BLM thugs have the freedom to roam

To break into a business or burn down a home

While the God-fearing Christian whose ballot got lost

Rots in a cell and pays the ultimate cost

‘Cause of brown men south of Brownsville

‘Cause of brown men south of Brownsville

If we don’t have a border our country is gone

And if our country is gone then whose side are you on?

Either get on the right side or get right with God

‘Cause we’re armed and we’re angry and we’re ready to fight

To fight for what’s ours and has been taken away

For our heritage lost in the lies that they say

For our status and flags that they made us take down

We’ll put ‘em back up and we’ll stand and be proud

‘Cause this country belongs to the strong and the brave

And the rest we will send to a treasonous grave

With the brown men south of Brownsville

With the brown men south of Brownsville

IN THE 80s IN AMERICA

In the 80s in America we were causing quite a stir

We knew who we were, we knew we were better than they were

In the 80s in America we could weather any storm

We were the good guys And the good guys don’t forget where they were born

And they know every rose has its thorn

Just like every night has its dawn

Just like every cowboy sings a sad sad song

Every rose has its thorn (yeah it does)

In the 80s there was AIDS yes

But it wasn’t on TV yet

In the 80s there were gays yes

But they stayed out of our faces

And with Cosby on TV we embraced our different races

We didn’t know he was a rapist in the 80s

We had fun

Boy did we have fun

It was morning again and we had fun

We were friends with Osama

We had money on Hussein

There was no way that could backfire

They both had armies that we trained

In the 80s in America we were wondrous and wild

On the face of every citizen was allegiance and a smile

Michael J. Fox wasn’t sick yet

Kirk Cameron wasn’t a dick yet

We had Growing Pains and Family Ties in the 80s

Rock and roll had riffs and hair

We were the world because we cared

We were the world and well aware of the stakes of where we stood

It was evil against good

It was Russia against us

In the 80s we knew who we could and who we could not trust

We were friends with Osama

We had money on Hussein

And their armies that we armed harmed only bad guys

As we watched the wall did crumble

As we watched the curtain fell

We had another victory to report and a freedom tale to tell

Good Lord Jesus kept us humble

Good Lord Jesus kept us clean

Good Lord Jesus kept us fed and kept us focused on the dream

The dream of freedom from the Commies

The dream of freedom for the Jews

The dream of freedom for the Muslims

And the Venezeuleans too

In the 80s in America there was freedom for us all

We had cable, we had cash, we had a ball

Every rose has its thorn

Just like every night has its dawn

Just like every cowboy sings a sad sad song

Every rose has its thorn

THE LAST BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

The last black lives matter sign in the neighborhood

In the lower level corner apartment is not lookin' too good

They used to be everywhere around

Then everybody took 'em down

I guess that black lives don't matter

I guess that black lives don't matter

I guess that black lives don't matter after all

In this house we believe that science is real

In this house we believe that love is love

And kindness is everything

But kindness is not everything

Kindness is kindness

And everything is everything

And black lives don't matter, apparently

Black lives don't matter, it seems to me

Black lives don't matter after all

Rosa Parks showed courage one day

She rode the bus

She was told to move to a different seat

She did not

She did what she believed was right

The last black lives matter sign in the neighborhood

Is no longer there

They took it down

Sometime last night

Under the cover of dark

Why'd you take it down?

Why'd you put it up?

I guess that black lives don't matter

Black lives don't matter

Black lives don't matter after all

REPRISE

We all poop and wipe our butts after we poop

We all seek out opportunities to have an orgasm

We all drink fluids and pee out those fluids

We all breathe the same air, we all have variations of hair

We are all mostly made of water

We are all have a mother and a father

We all are subjected to an endless barrage of commercialism and consumer culture, especially around Christmas time

We all see gas prices, we all see grocery store prices

We all wish those prices were lower than they are

We all wanna blame someone for those prices

We all interact with electronic devices

We all have feelings

We all have reasons

We all have hopes and desires, disappointments and regrets

We all have things we want to do that we haven’t don’t yet

We all have things we want to see before we die

We all die and we are all born

We all get forlorn, we all get mad

We all have to get money and we all spend money

We all think about money

We all want more money

Even if we talk about gratitude and having enough and being grateful for what we have we all want more money

We’re all the same (sometimes lame)

We’re all the same (in 50 states)

We’re all the same (in different shapes)

We’re all the same (with different ways to be)

We’re all the same (we’re all to blame)

We’re all the same (let’s tone is down)

We’re all the same (let’s take a deep breath)

We’re all the same (before this all gets out of hand)

We’re all the same (from coast to coast)

We’re all the same (from sea to sea)

We’re all the same

You and me and them and they and her and him

And LGBTQIA2+

It’s a lot I know I don’t understand it either but I love and trust and support it though because we are all the same

Let’s aim higher

With love not guns

Let’s inspire

With what we say and what we do

Let’s do better

Let’s improve

Let’s grow

Let’s roll

Let’s go

All words written by John Elliott 2024.