Track #9 from “Exposition”
“YOU AND YOUR TROUBLESOME FRIENDS”
This one covers a lot of ground. I wrote it years ago when I was living in the village of Joshua Tree. Much like my song “News Blackout,” it can be applied to current times as well. I would hope that the notions expressed would become outdated, but it appears that is not too likely in the near future. I propose a simple notion: the majority of the people will not stand down when the minority tries to tell us how to live our lives. That’s basically what it all gets down to. Fearful, hateful, xenophobic, misogynistic, racist…whatever you want to call it…people that live under this umbrella are not going to survive, or they are not going to survive happily, with the inevitable progression of humanity. The United States and planet Earth is so much bigger than any one group of fear-mongering, hype machine driving, divisive types. Using fear and ignorance to motivate people will only sew the seeds for deeper fear and ignorance. We humanists and progressives wish that science, education, and the admiration of cultures and belief systems that are different than our own will broaden our horizons, not limit them. In order to keep this brief, I’ll let John & Yoko take it from here: “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, and the world will live as one.” Peace.
https://timeaston1.bandcamp.com/track/you-and-your-troublesome-friends
You and your troublesome friends
can’t stop messing up things.
Stick your noses in everybody’s business,
leading us down dead ends.
You and your troublesome friends
make problems for me and mine.
If there’s no trash on your side
why do you talk it all down the line?
You and your troublesome friends
want me to be afraid all the time.
Some people think it’s all a big joke
but I’m not laughing, I’m not laughing anymore
at you and your troublesome friends.
You and your troublesome friends
are the mothers of all king sized drags.
You wake up every day just to cover up your tracks.
The morning birds quit singing when they see you walking back.
The liberty bell ain’t ringing any better since you cracked it.
Your days are numbered but you’ll put up a fight.
We play rock, paper, scissors, and you pull out dynamite.
Most of the world is against you.
We’re counting the days until your days end.
Most of the world is against you.
You and your troublesome friends.