Ballad of G.W.

Annotation

Pioneering Hardcore Punk band formed in December 1979 in Austin, Texas, USA, and currently based in Portland, Oregan, USA, led by guitarist and vocalist Dave Dictor. The group was known for its political lyrics and anti- Ronald Reagan material in the 1980s. This 2004 album (Sudden Death Records # SDR-0058) mainly focused on protest against the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and opposition to President George W. Bush. It contained a couple songs which referenced the Vietnam War.. This included the song "Founding Fathers - Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?", in which they discussed hypocrisy in US foreign policy, including "John Wayne running up the hill, see how many Vietnamese he could kill". Then in the song "Ballad of G.W." about George W. Bush, MDC criticised Bush for avoiding service in Vietnam: saying that "there's a war in Vietnam", but "George stay at home with mom", while they "buy...a spot in the Texas National Guard", meanwhile the "common people get maimed and scarred". This is interesting contemporary, post-war take on draft inequality, which had a similar theme to the well-known 1969 protest song "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, about the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, David Eisenhower, (married to the daughter Richard Nixon), avoiding the Vietnam War draft by getting into the reserves.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Punk Songs

Then in the song "Ballad of G.W." about George W. Bush, MDC criticised Bush for avoiding service in Vietnam: saying that "there's a war in Vietnam", but "George stay at home with mom", while they "buy...a spot in the Texas National Guard", meanwhile the "common people get maimed and scarred". This is interesting contemporary, post-war take on draft inequality, which had a similar theme to the well-known 1969 protest song "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival, about the grandson of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, David Eisenhower, (married to the daughter Richard Nixon), avoiding the Vietnam War draft by getting into the reserves.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: Come and listen to my story 'bout a boy named Bush / His IQ was zero and his head was up his tush / He drank like a fish while he drove a car about / But that didn't matter 'cuz his daddy bailed him out / DUI, that is. Criminal record. Cover-up / Well, the first thing you know little Georgie goes to Yale / He can't spell his name but they never let him fail / He spends all his time hangin' out with student folk / And that's when he learns how to snort a line of coke / Blow, that is. White gold. Nose candy / The next thing you know there's a war in Vietnam / Kin folks say, "George, stay at home with Mom." / Let the common people get maimed and scarred / We'll buy you up a spot in the Texas National Guard / Cush, that is. Country clubs. Nose candy / Twenty years later George gets a little bored / He trades in the booze, says that Jesus is his Lord / He said, "Now the White House is the place I wanna' be / " So he called his daddy's friends and they called the GOP / Gun owners, that is. Falwell. Jesse Helms / Come November 7, the election ran late / Kin folks said "Jeb, give the boy your state!" / "Don't let those colored folks get anywhere near polls." / So they put up barricades so they couldn't punch their holes / Chads, that is. Duval County. Miami-Dade / Before the votes were counted all the five Supremes stepped in / Told all the voters "Hey, we want our George to win." / "Stop counting votes!" was their solemn invocation / And that's how little Georgie finally…

Notes

Also issued in Canada on Sudden Death Records (SDR-0058).

About the artist

American hardcore punk band formed 1979 in Austin, Texas (as The Stains). [Source: Wikipedia]

Themes

Alcohol · George W. Bush · Draft · Drugs · Religion

In collections

Draft Songs · Punk Songs