Trouble Every Day
The Mothers of Invention
Well I'm about to get UPSET
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean they say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friends
Is anybody's guess
So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
Wednesday I watched the riot...
I seen the cops out on the street
Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff
And chokin' in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin' 'round
Seen the smoke & fire
And the market burnin' down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust and burn
And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
Well you can cool it,
You can heat it...
'Cause, baby, I don't need it...
Take your TV tube and eat it
'N all that phony stuff on sports
'N all THOSE unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box
Until my head began to hurt
From checkin' out the way
The newsmen say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so
And further they assert
That any show they'll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They'll be the first to tell
Because the boys they got downtown
Are workin' hard and doin' swell,
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street,
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can't be beat
And if another woman driver
Gets machine-gunned from her seat
They'll send some joker with a brownie
And you'll see it all complete
So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
Hey you know something people
I'm not black
But there's a whole lots a times
I wish I could say I'm not white
Well, I seen the fires burnin'
And the local people turnin'
On the merchants and the shops
Who used to sell their brooms and mops
And every other household item
Watched the mob just turn and bite 'em
And they say it served 'em right
Because a few of them are white,
And it's the same across the nation
Black & white discrimination
They're yellin' "You can't understand me!"
And all the other crap they hand me
In the papers and TV
'N all that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
Because the color of your skin
Just don't appeal to him
(No matter if it's black or white)
Because he's out for blood tonight
You know we gotta sit around at home
And watch this thing begin
But I bet there won't be many left
To see it really end
'Cause the fire in the street
Ain't like the fire in my heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don't you know that this could start
On any street in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now's the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain't no great society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn't free
And the law refuses to see
If all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
WON'T amount TO nothin' more
THAN watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
Blow you harmonica son!

I've known them by heart for so long, I forget that some might never have heard of it.

I have played that for my grandchildren as an introduction to what went on back then....

As it is, my daughters, though politically at least as leftward leaning as I am, have little interest in 1960s America (or Germany, for that matter--they are dual citizens). Our eldest grandchild just turned 2, and the second one will not even see the light of day for about ten days. It will be several years yet before it will even be worth trying to get her to pronounce the name Frank Zappa, let alone understand a song about the Watts riots of 1965.

As one who obviously appreciates topical music of the times, maybe I can interest you in some contemporary pieces. They can be found, including links to those that have corresponding videos, at https://www.jango.com/music/The+Freedom+Toast
The roster of songs can be found in the center section entitled "The Freedom Toast Songs"

And as of now total five....

My parents died in their seventies, my dad's parents never even made it to seventy, only one grandparent made it past 80. Both parents and ALL their siblings had cancer. My likelihood of making it to 80 is little and none, and I am 68 now. In all probability, my grandchildren will get to remember me as a few images on film, and some music tracks left over time, some of which you can find on the site I left you (notably, Canyonlands, The Lazy C Ranch, and the Talking TSA Blues).

Congratulations, by the way, on the three day old. I will lag by about two weeks (or less), but this is necessarily something beyond any direct influence of my own.

i'll check your suggestions out. more eventually than immediately.


-90% jimmy

Last edited Mon Jun 1, 2020, 06:43 PM - Edit history (1)

-- twice. We were proud of ourselves, and the world was proud of us. That couldn't have happened in 1966.

We elected our first woman president, and without illicit interference and subversion, it would have been by a very large margin and she would have been sworn in. That couldn't have happened in 1966.

LGBTQ+ have rights that weren't dreamed of back then, including to marry each other and decide on their own genders. Heck, in 1966 many of them weren't even allowed to EXIST.

Women have also made great advances, holding public offices by the many thousands, running giant corporations, even anchoring evening news programs alone. In 1966 degrees still qualified women to be secretaries to those business leaders and to work as stewardesses.

And how about this one: Black women, not white men, are the highest educated demo cohort. In 1966 they were still on the forefront of integration -- both racial and gender.

We created the national healthcare program many had wanted for over 70 years. That one might have happened in 1966, but didn't.

Hell yes it's very different today -- because of advances our generations made happen.

**************

What's ALSO different in NOT a good way is

Now we're living through an enormous RW backlash -- both real and engineered by giant RW forces.

Since then conservatives consolidated in one powerful party and a rabid Southern conservative ideology came to dominate.

Planetary wealth multiplied several times over and created a billionaire plutocracy that finds government by the people both an unacceptable impediment and an offense.

The White Male Power Party has learned they can no longer win when the people vote and has gone extremist and thrown in with the ultrawealthy to do away with self-rule.

The Soviet Union fell apart, and now pissant little Russia is determined to restore it by exporting corruption to and assisting the White Male Power Party's takeover.

The White Male Power Party has as a result become completely taken over by corruption, conservatism itself purged along with all principles, winning the only object.

We are engaged in a tremendous battle for the future of our nation like nothing seen since the Civil War.

We thought we had it tough in 1966. Good thing we didn't know then about the battles we were going to have to win 50 years later.