Friday, September 21, 2007

Channeling the 1960's

This whole Jena 6 Protest has me listening to all of my mom's old songs. So, in honor of my mother and the incredible fact that nothing has changed in 40 years, I give you Phil Ochs lyrics:

Here's to the state of Mississippi,
For Underheath her borders, the devil draws no lines,
If you drag her muddy river, nameless bodies you will find.
Whoa the fat trees of the forest have hid a thousand crimes,
The calender is lyin' when it reads the present time.
Whoa here's to the land you've torn out the heart of,
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of!

Here's to the people of Mississippi
Who say the folks up north, they just don't understand
And they tremble in their shadows at the thunder of the Klan
The sweating of their souls can't wash the blood from off their hands
They smile and shrug their shoulders at the murder of a man
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

Here's to the schools of Mississippi
Where they're teaching all the children that they don't have to care
All of rudiments of hatred are present everywhere
And every single classroom is a factory of despair
There's nobody learning such a foreign word as fair
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

Here's to the cops of Mississippi
They're chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
Their bellies bounce inside them as they knock you to the floor
No they don't like taking prisoners in their private little war
Behind their broken badges there are murderers and more
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

And, here's to the judges of Mississippi
Who wear the robe of honor as they crawl into the court
They're guarding all the bastions with their phony legal fort
Oh, justice is a stranger when the prisoners report
When the black man stands accused the trial is always short
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the government of Mississippi
In the swamp of their bureaucracy they're always bogging down
And criminals are posing as the mayors of the towns
They're hoping that no one sees the sights and hears the sounds
And the speeches of the governor are the ravings of a clown
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the laws of Mississippi
Congressmen will gather in a circus of delay
While the Constitution is drowning in an ocean of decay
Unwed mothers should be sterilized, I've even heard them say
Yes, corruption can be classic in the Mississippi way
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

And here's to the churches of Mississippi
Where the cross, once made of silver, now is caked with rust
And the Sunday morning sermons pander to their lust
The fallen face of Jesus is choking in the dust
Heaven only knows in which God they can trust
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

4 comments:

Patrick Parker said...

Can't say as I've ever heard of Phil Ochs, and I know I have never heard this horrible song, but I'd like to say that this is a nearly entirely wrong picture of present-day Mississippi (except for the fat cops ;-)

Of course these atrocities happened in Mississippi 40 years ago. They happened throughout the South and it was terrible and wrong and inexcusable. It still happens in isolated cases, like Jena Louisiana AS WELL AS EVERYWHERE ELSE.

see the following:
http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=23173

But to make Mississippi an enduring symbol of hatred and ignorance is just plain wrong.

My Wombinations said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
My Wombinations said...

Racism is everywhere, it's true. And I am not so naive to think that institutionalized racism is unique to the South, but the lyrics fit. And the very fact that you found this song "horrible" makes me question your attitude. Even if we disagree on the present state of the deep South, the song speaks the truth about the state's history and its political leanings..

Given the divide in our country today between the Reds and the Blues and the values we each hold, the song endures. The difference between the article you sent and the Jena, LA situation is the difference between the values of a few and the values of the majority.

Have you seen the footage from the townpeople of Jena justifying the blatantly racist justice dispension? Before you say that so much has changed, you ought to watch it. It is chilling. Remember, I did not write the lyrics to the song or make Mississippi an enduring symbol of hatred and ignorance. The state did that on its own. And it continues to this day (note the state's positively backwards views towards any cause one might consider progressive).

I'll grant you that the song is extreme, but so is the state of Mississippi--a state that does not in any way represent the values of the rest of our nation.

Patrick Parker said...

You know, what you've started here by posting these lyrics, though I don't agree with them, is a really good thing. A good example of why free speech is a good thing.

This Jena 6 deal, besides being a tragic injustice, which it certainly is, is a great opportunity for everyone to look at themselves, to examine our hearts and prejudices. I have examined my heart and I continue to do so. I have seen the footage. The following is a pretty good analysis of the thing (so far as I can tell)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtOsdKCgJ5E

I don't think there are many folks in Mississippi, certainly not anywhere close to a majority and certainly not in an institutionalized manner, that could disagree with anything that this commentator says.

But I do think the song is horrible (as I phrased it) and extreme (as you put it).

How do the values of current-day Mississippi differ from those of the Nation as a whole?

If Mississippi is not representative of the attitude of the nation, name a state that is.

Bravo to you for posting an interesting, provocative thought-piece nad conversation piece