 In early April, we were watching the mind-melting "Joe Exotic: Tiger King" Netlfix series with its obvious parallels to Trump World and thought it was ripe for treatment in song. Melanie came up with the riff "Don Exotic: Lyin' King" and started singing "Wimoweh" which was used in the remake of the movie The Lion King. When we came up with the "Vote Him Away" sub-hook, we were off and running. Then we remembered the song parody performed by the Raging Grannies of Mendocino - Roy had sung their "The Liar Tweets Tonight" with them a couple years ago - so we got in touch with Ede Morris, the Raging Granny who penned those parody lyrics, and asked if she'd mind if we took a pass at it. After it was written, we decided to use “Vote Him Away” as the maiden voyage for our idea to get lots of people singing together in one of our videos. We hoped this “Virtual Sing-In” would help bridge the divide we’re all feeling in this time of social distancing. We appealed through our mailing list for people to join in with us in the making of the “Vote Him Away” video. We were so touched by the positive responses -- both financial contributions and video clips.   Special shoutout to our friend Sandy Riccardi who sang the high soprano descant part. She and her husband Richard write and perform hilarious political satire songs. We highly recommend that you follow them on Facebook. A nostra culpa: We do recognize that the lack of diversity in the first iteration of “Vote Him Away” looks intentional and exclusionary, and just .... not good. We were so blown away by everyone's heartfelt individual contributions that we didn't consider the overall look. That was a failing on our part. The good news is that we've decided to make a new video of “Vote Him Away” with new lyrics and a new group of chorus members every month until the election -- getting more and more people singing together -- and these next videos will certainly reflect the beautiful diversity of our world. Would you like to sing along? If so, please sign up for the mailing list as we’ll be organizing these Virtual Sing-Ins through our newsletters.  For most of Roy’s career, we’ve written solely original songs. In the last few years, we’ve loved adding song parodies to the mix. They’re a great way to reach people immediately and are an enormously effective tool for political organizing. Because they are instantly accessible, they are also often floating around in the political satire zeitgeist in multiple guises. A couple weeks after we posted “Vote Him Away,” for instance, Jimmy Kimmel did his own riff on Trump as the Lyin’ King a la Joe Exotic’s Tiger King ...  Since posting our video, we’ve learned of at least 7 other takes on the idea “The Liar Tweets Tonight,” and we applaud all our fellow satirists. Check out this glorious gem from our friend, the folk phenom Christine Lavin ...  And, of course, the song belongs to Solomon Linda, the Zulu tribesman who wrote “Mbube” (Zulu for lion) in the 1920s. Here he is performing his song in 1939 with his band The Evening Birds ...  -- Roy and Melanie We are pleased to offer you FREE DOWNLOADS of the mp3 audio files for some our recent videos. Just click on the record player. If you're able and so moved, you can also make a contribution of $5 or $10 to help us produce our next Virtual Sing-In. To add a contribution, just click on either the “Kick In a Lincoln” or “Kick In a Hamilton” box below.
We are so proud to introduce you to our collaborator on the parody lyrics for “Vote Him Away (The Liar Tweets Tonight).” Her name is Ede Morris, and she is a Raging Granny of Mendocino.  Ede says, “The Mendocino Raging Grannies are part of an International Movement standing up for future generations and challenging corporate power. We are homegrown Grannies who use humor and harmony to sound off on Social Justice and Environmental issues.” Roy has done a number of shows with “gaggles” of Raging Grannies all over the country. The activist message in their song parodies is undeniable, not to mention super-charming. Here is Ede's story in her own words: “I started singing in church at the age of 6. There was always a piano in the house, but I picked up the guitar in high school to sing with an all girl folk group called "The Mad Hatters." My mother dragged me to the County Fair the summer of 1965 to see The New Christy Minstrels. “As we were leaving the fair, we met the group hanging out in their tent and an exchange of songs took place. A year and a half later, I got the call to audition for the group and I was on the road singing with them 2 days later. I stuck with them long enough to record two albums, do a number of major TV shows and tour Japan, New Zealand and much of the US. Then I quit to hang out in N Y and sing with my sister Lynn Kellogg. “Three years living in Manhattan was enough for me to realize I needed to get back to the country. In 1968 "Hair" opened on Broadway with my sister Lynn in one of the lead roles. “I became an ‘instant’ hippie and was soon heading for California with the Flower Children. San Luis Obispo was where I landed, 6 miles from a nuclear power plant in its construction and licensing phase. I had a husband and child and I knew this plant named Diablo needed to be stopped. We became part of a greater effort to stop Diablo from going online and I wound up writing my first song "Must Never Be." It actually was KPFA's most requested song of 1978.  “In 1979 my family (which now consisted of 2 small children and a husband) moved to Mendocino County to be far from nuclear power plants. I continued my musical anti-nuclear crusade and became a non-violence trainer as well. “The Mendocino Raging Grannies came into my life at the perfect time. Each time a crisis arrived, we had a song for it and we became regulars at the B of Supes and Planning Commission meetings. We formed around a performance at the Anderson Valley Grange Variety Show singing a song about Dr Bronner's Soap and it's physical effects on “hoo hoos." We sang the heck out of that song.” Here’s video proof:  Check out the gaggle of Raging Grannies near you. We are pleased to offer you FREE DOWNLOADS of the mp3 audio files for some our recent videos. Just click on the record player. If you're able and so moved, you can also make a contribution of $5 or $10 to help us produce our next Virtual Sing-In. To add a contribution, just click on either the “Kick In a Lincoln” or “Kick In a Hamilton” box below.
-- Roy and Melanie
A couple weeks ago, I posted a short remembrance of John Prine. COVID 19 took him from us, but not before he’d altered America’s consciousness with half a century of astounding songwriting. I asked members of my mailing list to send us their own memories of John. Here they are ... /////////////////////////////////  I already was playing and singing John Prine songs before I saw him in Waikiki while I was in the Navy ‘round about 1973. I’ve probably forgotten more of his songs than I still know, and that is a lot. His was the first voice I heard on our local community radio station 41 years ago.He is one of the few artists that I keep learning the songs of, the latest being Egg and Daughter Night. Michael Handley ///////////////////////////////// Thank you for this opportunity to give grateful tribute to the late, great John Prine’s prophetic poetic genius which was best exemplified by two of our Woodstock Generation’s most culturally impactful songs: SamStone and IllegalSmile. The former decried the illegal Vietnam War and the latter presaged We the People’s now solid victory in the hypocritically fruitless and sadly still too often tragically hurtful War on Drugs. We’re soooooo grateful for your Musical Legacy, Dearly Departed Folk Songwriting Giant whom We Luv, Love, LOVE: JohnPrine. Lew Welge /////////////////////////////////  I started listening to John in the mid to late '70's when I was in college. I was hooked. I will never forget the concert I attended at the Paramount in Austin, TX with John and Steve Goodman together. It was magical. His range of songwriting that makes you bust out laughing and then zings your heart was one of kind. The one thing I learned from his illness and now death was just how many of my friends loved him too. I was surprised at the variety and number of people who responded first to my post on Facebook about his being sick and then about his passing - as well as postings of their own. He touched so many lives and will be deeply, deeply missed. Barbara Condon ///////////////////////////////// I admired John Prine's words and music-- the wonderful humor and biting commentary, so accurate. Sharon Johnson /////////////////////////////////  I'm almost 10 years ahead of you in listening to John Prine. He was one of my favorite singers/songwriters. I actually thought his voice was perfect for his songs. He wrote songs that were goofy, and songs that were profound, often at the same time. I have heard his songs used to mark special events - Paradise for environmental pillage, Hello in There for mental health and loneliness, Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven any More for wars and Veteran's Day...and now, Don't Bury Me in the Cold, Cold Ground and This Man is Goin' to Town for his death. You need a song for an occasion, go look at John Prine's oevre. When I heard he was in the hospital on a respirator, I wrote into his website and kept looking for news on his condition every morning. I was pleased to see how many people other than me loved John Prine's songs, even one woman from England who said that she had never heard of John Prine until she read that he had coronavirus, so she started listening to his songs and now is a devoted fan. I was heartbroken when he died, and did a mini - John Prine song listening marathon at my house. Somehow, when I was listening to his songs, I was able to laugh and appreciate the phrases and forget about our loss. A little taste of heaven, if you ask me. One long evening, and I'm only finished CD1. There is a 50 song John Prine set on YouTube, for those of you who aren't so fortunate as to own the box set. So I hope you're forming that band in heaven, John Prine. Save a spot for me. I bet I'll be welcome. Onward with love and music, Kendyll Stansbury ///////////////////////////////// As for a tribute to John Prine, my story is not unusual. Growing up in the greater Chicago area I knew that John, Steve Goodman & Bonnie Koloc regularly played at the Earl of Old Town and Holsteins and I wanted to play there, too. Eventually, I did. As I started performing professionally, a couple John Prine songs were always on the setlist; Please Don't Bury Me, Dear Abby and Your Flag Decal were always crowd favorites. John Petrusa /////////////////////////////////  Just yesterday, I posted a John Prine cover to Facebook. Here is "Big Ol’ Goofy World." Walton Walker ///////////////////////////////// COVID 19 BREAKDOWN
for John Prine World a prison On lockdown America’s Head Screw Ain’t well maintained Might not be human Certainly ain’t humane Stranger danger in the manger An innocent bat And armored pangolin Took us all on Brought great nations to their knees Love from distance Equals attempt at connection The art of touching Out of business Like all the restaurants in the sky Don’t cry for me Susannah As banjo players seek refuge In isolation wards and Breathing machines plugged Into the wrong Zeitgeist I dared to walk outside Myself and peer intently in Was there never any foundation Willing to grant us wonders Earned and stolen from Troubadours of the new as Marching boots threaten power Awaken from gullible daydreams sisters Brothers it’s past time to move We can chant people and sigh revolt But our heads must stay In the Suckers Game until Victory is declared by forces of grace Dressed in shimmering gowns Stitched by elves and shamans Songs survive and grow lyrics Dig deeper every time we listen Birds sing round the clock Spheres make music on Their own labels — I’ll meet You in Paradise at the OK Corral Richard Friedman |
