CORRUPTION – Parody of Truckin’ – The Grateful Dead

This parody is based on, and inspired by, a commentary of Krystal Ball titled “Dems Lack of Moral Authority Dooms Impeachment Inquiry.” It was “aired” on November 15th 2019 on Rising.

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LYRICS to CORRUPTION
by Don Caron

Corruption! Yours is worse than mine.
If I prove it, then I’ll just be fine,
Standing on a great fault line.
Corruption’s trucking on.

Nobody cares what the Democrats say on impeachment.
They’re totally lacking in moral authority preachment.
Their outrage is phony, not seeing impartial behavior.
Ukraine-gate’ll target Joe Biden and he ain’t your savior.

Corruption can be soft or hard.
Impeachment is a great canard.
The Repubs will play their fat ace card,
apply their twisted screws to Joe.

It ain’t gonna work to pretend you are taking the high ground.
You worked with Republicans shipping our jobs overseas.
Crushing the unions and stripping the bank regulations.
Control of our lives to the corporate monopolies.

Corruption is what got Trump in,
not Russia or Bernie Sanders’ “sin.”
The problem is hiding deep within.
It’s time for you to know that we know. .

Don’t cry “false equivalency.”
It’s not a test for “purity.”
Inward glance, too dark to see?
How blind can you choose to be?

Economy tanked and none had to pay for the thieving.
They bent all the rules deflecting for Harvey and Jeff.
While Hunter was selling his 50k access to daddy,
and riding a crack binge and serving as corporate cofvefe.

While so many black and brown men
were landing in prison;
Got life behind bars for exactly the same offense.
The rules and laws from which injustice risen
came from Daddy-Joe’s work as the man on the fence.

“No one can be above the law”
is never practiced in the raw;
moral high ground’s fatal flaw.
Is that so hard to comprehend?

It’s not because voters are dumb or not paying attention,
It’s not that they’re racist or need to watch Maddow get high.
It’s not that Nancy should pontificate about bribery.
It’s not that George Kent decided to wear a bow tie.

The reason no one seems to care
is staring out from everywhere.
You can’t rely on hope and prayer.
Corruption eats fidelity.

It’d be great if impeachment could actually happen.
But the more things are changing the more they are staying the same.
Corruption is eatin’ away at the core of our system.
No matter what happens it’s clear that it’s gonna remain.

Corruption, yours is worse than mine.
If I prove it, then I’ll be just fine,
You’re standing on a great fault line,
Corruption tells your feet where to go.

ABOUT THE SOURCE MATERIAL

“Truckin'” is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure.

Written by band members Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and lyricist Robert Hunter, “Truckin'” molds classic Grateful Dead rhythms and instrumentation. The lyrics refer to a drug raid of the band’s hotel lodgings in New Orleans during a concert tour earlier in 1970:

Busted, down on Bourbon Street
Set up, like a bowling pin
Knocked down, it gets to wearing thin
They just won’t let you be

The song was taken from the American Beauty album and edited down in length from five to three minutes for release as a single. In addition to being shorter, the single version had some audible differences compared to the album version: it featured sections of lead guitar in places where it’s faded down on the album version, a heavy processed effect on Bob Weir’s lead vocals in the verses, a different vocal track for the “Sometimes the lights…” portion, and is missing the album version’s organ part.

The single reached number 64 on December 25, 1971 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart and stayed on the chart for eight weeks. “Truckin'” was the highest-charting pop single the group would have until the surprise top-ten performance of “Touch of Grey” sixteen years later. Moreover, the album track was heavily played on progressive rock and album-oriented rock radio stations and accordingly helped popularize the group among general rock audiences.

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