Anti-war song meme

[zdashamber]

Collected from rikibeth, "When you see this, post an anti-war song in your journal."

So Long, Mom (A Song for World War III)

By Tom Lehrer,

Who says:

This year we've been celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the Civil War and the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of World War I and the twentieth anniversary of the end of World War II so all in all it's been a good year for the war buffs and a number of LPs and television specials have come out capitalizing on all this "nostalgia" with particular emphasis on the songs of the various wars. I feel that if any songs are going to come out of World War III we'd better start writing them now. I have one here. You might call it a bit of pre-nostalgia. This is the song that some of the boys sang as they went bravely of to World War III.

So long, Mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But while you swelter
Down there in your shelter,
You can see me
On your TV.

While we're attacking frontally,
Watch Brinkelley and Huntalley,
Describing contrapuntally
The cities we have lost.
No need for you to miss a minute
Of the agonizing holocaust. (Yeah!)

Little Johnny Jones he was a U.S. pilot,
And no shrinking violet
Was he!
He was mighty proud when World War Three was declared,
He wasn't scared,
No siree!

And this is what he said on
His way to Armageddon:

So long, Mom,
I'm off to drop the bomb,
So don't wait up for me.
But though I may roam,
I'll come back to my home,
Although it may be
A pile of debris.

Remember, Mommy,
I'm off to get a commie,
So send me a salami,
And try to smile somehow.
I'll look for you when the war is over,
An hour and a half from now!

I considered for a brief moment the Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag, but what with the ridiculous saber-rattling vs Iran and the unending failure to attend to nuclear nonproliferation (both candidates agreed, the most pressing foreign policy issue!), the choice is clear! Besides, Lehrer's music is just better.

Comments

Did I tell you about my horrible impulse?

[mtfierce.livejournal.com]

It was to write a Shakespeare parody. King Leher.

It's to be told...

[mtfierce.livejournal.com]

...cold medicine makes typos. Lehrer.

Re: Did I tell you about my horrible impulse?

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

That's horribl...ly awesome! Iambic pentameter and ragtime = bring it!

Re: Did I tell you about my horrible impulse?

[ameer-tavakoli.livejournal.com]

Every time I hear or think about "Iambic Pentameter", I cannot help but think of Vikram Seth who wrote a book completely in that style.

I'm still uncertain whether he did it out of amusement, or whether he just takes himself too seriously.

[arrefmak.livejournal.com]

One of my fav songs.
Thanks for taking time to say "hi" at ACUS.

[zdashamber.livejournal.com]

Really, thank you! You made the effort to come find me and kittentikka. I'm so pleased to have finally met you in person after all these years knowing you online.