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• Friday, July 18, 2008 07:11 AM

  The perfect musical prefigurement of the Reagan years

  Prior to the era of crud personified by ABBA, we went through a long period of music that was actually about something -- political and metaphysical ideas. Apparently the questions being asked got too uncomfortable for a lot of people ("Could the government actually be working against our interest?"), leading to Saturday Night Fever, this, and an even longer period of nothink that we may (or may not) just be emerging from now.

  So why do we love it so much? What you mean we, white woman? ABBA was a cultural tragedy, and some pretty awful music as well. The best American music (and all rock is influenced by American music) has always been played by some variation of guitar, piano, sax, bass and drums, in live performance. ABBA's about as far away from that as it's possible to get. Bubblegum pop for small children, given, but children ought to grow up sometime.

  I've been playing this all summer, for some strange reason. It's by Gene McDaniels, from 1969, most memorably performed by Les McCann and Eddie Harris. You want Waterloo? I got your Waterloo....

  1. Love the lie and lie the love

  Hangin' on, with a push and shove

  Possession is the motivation

  that is hangin' up the God-damn nation

  Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)

  Tryin' to make it real — compared to what?

  2. Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs

  Twisted children killin' frogs

  Poor dumb rednecks rollin' logs

  Tired old ladies kissin' dogs

  Hate the human, love that stinking mutt (I can't stand it!)

  Try to make it real — compared to what?

  3. The President, he's got his war

  Folks don't know just what it's for

  Nobody gives us rhyme or reason

  Have one doubt, they call it treason

  We're chicken-feathers, all without one gut (God damn it!)

  Tryin' to make it real — compared to what? (Sock it to me, now)

  4. Church on Sunday, sleep and nod

  Tryin' to duck the wrath of God

  Preacher's fillin' us with fright

  Tryin' to tell us what he thinks is right

  He really got to be some kind of nut (I can't use it!)

  Tryin' to make it real — compared to what?

  5. Where's that bee and where's that honey?

  Where's my God and where's my money

  Unreal values, crass distortion

  Unwed mothers need abortion

  Kind of brings to mind ol' young King Tut (He did it now)

  Tried to make it real — compared to what?!

  —Eric Free Read Eric Free's other letters
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