Song of the day - Steppenwolf: Monster America Suicide

[teach1st]

Download:
http://www.tuff-teach.com/pics/steppenwolf-monster.mp3

Words and music by John Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Nick St. Nicholas and Larry Byrom, 1970

(Monster)
Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope
Like good Christians, some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
And she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war over
They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)
The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watchin'

Our cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner
We can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into a noose
And it just sits there watching

(America)
America where are you now?
Don't you care about your sons and daughters?
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster

[Old and In the Way]

1. 1st concert I saw was Steppenwolf.

With Tony Joe "Pot Salad Annie" White warming up the audience.


I'd nearly forgotten about this tune....it was almost as popular as "Born to be Wild" and "Pusherman". Damn relevant lyrics.

[H2O Man]

2. Great song.

I have it in a stack of CDs next to me as I am on DU. Yesterday I tried to start a DU chorus, because I think music is so important in a cultural revolution. This song fits today's circumstance as well as it did the Vietnam era. Thanks!!!

[teach1st]

4. So much of the Vietnam era songs are relevant today...

The Bushites thought they had learned from Vietnam. Control the body count. Control the media. Control the music. Control your political enemies. But he forgot one thing - he forgot the biggest lesson of all: control yourself.

[happyending]

3. LOL

I didn't know anyone else remembered this song.

"The spirit was freedom and justice
And it's keepers seem generous and kind
It's leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
And now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told..."

[johnnie]

5. One of my favorites..

Of many many Steppenwolf tunes. Our band plays around with this one once and a while...

[H2O Man]

6. an "off the wall" question ....

Are you familiar with an untitled poem that Lennon wrote at the age of 17, found in the Hunter Davies' book, that begins with the line, "I remember a time ...."? I ask, because I always thought it should be put to music. Your taste in music sounds great. (I read the poem as a kid in an English class; we had to read a fasvorite poem; my parents got many, many phone calls that night!)

[johnnie]

8. I remember a time when...

Everyone I loved hated me
Because I hated them
So what, so what,so
fucking what.

And then there's.......

I can't remember anything
without a sadness
So deep that it hardly
becomes known to me...


Might be worth sticking a few lines in to a song

[H2O Man]

9. You got the first verse...

then:

I remember a time when
Belly buttons were knee high
When only shitting was
Dirty and everything else
Clean and beautiful
I can't remember anything
without a sadness
So deep that it hardly
becomes known to me.
So deep that its tears
leave me a spectator
of my own stupidity.
And so I go rambling on
With a hey nonny nonny no.

I always thought that was great. You're right, it could be built upon. It could be a quiet little song, or a heck of a rocker. I have thought that the title to one of he & Yoko's odd albums could be used in a song .... "Life With the Lions" is catchy, I thought. What would you add to the "I remember..." ?

[AlabamaYankee]

7. Don't forget "Draft Resister"

Which follows immediately after.

It's going to become a very current topic sooner than you think.

(Just ask your local oldies station to play it)

[Zorro]

10. "The Ostrich" is also very relevant

It speaks to the preference of people to ignore what's happening to the country.