Monday Song Lyric

Sorry for the delay in getting this up ... heck I ought to call it the Wednesday Song Lyric at this point.
I had a three day weekend and as I explained earlier, I wasn't really around the Mac yesterday. I was hoping to put this up today at lunch, but ended up working too much (though I did manage to post quite a bit today).

Anyway, in honor of President's Day, George and Abe, and all that is good in the world, baseball (Go Yankees, A-Rod!!!!!!!!!!!) and apple pie, I decided to look at U.S. Blues, a celebration of America from that most American institution, the Grateful Dead.

As Reason described them in March of 2003, "The Dead were true American capitalist visionaries, rich in dollars but also striving to remain rich in spirit." They were, first and foremost, a bar room and blues band that blended perfectly the intricate harmonies and instrumental highs of bluegrass and western together with the drug induced mind expanding free jazz of the time. Often pigeonholed as just a bunch of '60s throwback liberals because of the weird smells and illogical political ranting of many of the band's fans, the Dead themselves were anything but. Rather than associating with the prevailing Democrat Institutions of the day, like the Weather Underground and Students for a Democratic Society, the band itself was more Merry Prankster and Hells Angel.

Rather than standing for all the trendy and lefty causes of their fellow San Francisco musicians, the band instead refused to take a stand on the hot button issues of the time: Vietnam, civil rights, and the issue which John Kerry is trying so hard to bring back to the forefront: socialist revolution. Instead, they professed no message other than a rediscovery of classic musicianship (albeit with a fair bit of noodling and many hours of boring interlude).

One of their most memorable songs, U.S. Blues is the celebration of America and all of her great characters over the years. Its a good time rock and roll throwback in 4/4 time with a driving drum beat and a boogying shuffle that oozes enough patriotism to make your average liberal squeamish. It just screams out for attention on all of our patriotic holidays.

Red and white/blue suede shoes
I'm Uncle Sam /how do you do?
Gimme five/I'm still alive
Ain't no luck/I learned to duck


Check my pulse/it don't change
Stay seventy two/come shine or rain
Wave the flag/pop the bag
Rock the boat/skin the goat


Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime
Done come and gone
My oh my

I'm Uncle Sam /that's who I am
Been hidin' out/in a rock and roll band
Shake the hand that shook the hand
Of P.T. Barnum/and Charlie Chan


Shine your shoes/light your fuse
Can you use/them ol' U.S. Blues?
I'll drink your health/share your wealth
Run your life/steal your wife


Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime done
Come and gone
My oh my


Back to back/chicken shack
Son of a gun/better change your act
We're all confused/what's to lose?
You can call this song/the United States Blues


Wave that flag
Wave it wide and high
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My
Summertime done come and gone
My oh My