"The Middle Class Liberal, Well-Intentioned Blues"
I wish I was a Negro, with lots of Negro soul,
so I could stay true to my ethnic roots and still play rock and roll.
If I was a funky Negro, eatin’ soul food barbecues,
then I wouldn’t have to sing the middle class liberal Well-Intentioned Blues.
I wish I was an Indian, a grown-up Sioux papoose,
so when I get drunk on a beer and a half I’d have a good excuse.
I’d be a noble savage, wouldn’t ever wear no shoes,
and I wouldn’t have to sing the middle class liberal Well-Intentioned Blues.
I wish I was a wetback on a strike in a lettuce patch
or a slant-eyed peasant with Viet Cong stashed underneath my thatch.
I’d only ever cross a picket line to pay my union dues
and I wouldn’t have to sing the middle class liberal Well-Intentioned Blues.
But I am not a Negro, not a red man nor a Mex. (Join me, kids!)
I’m a member of the oppressing color, language, age and sex.
I sympathize with the Arab cause; I feel for the put-upon Jews.
And I keep singing –
the middle class liberal –
humanitarian –
meaningful dialogue –
we are all responsible Well-Intentioned Blues.
For those of you who are/were unfamiliar with this outstanding piece of 70's history,
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