| . | 02/07/2010
It’s Still The Economy, Stupid!
By: Joel Benjamin
Marc Crawford Leavitt, Rachel Stone and Joel Landy
In the honored tradition of Tom Lehrer, Oscar Brand and even—God help us!—Weird Al Yankovic and Alan Sherman, the Peoples’ Voice Café at the Community Church of New York presented master satirical singer/songwriters Rachel Stone, Marc Crawford Leavitt and Joel Landy in an evening of wickedly funny topical songs called It’s Still the Economy, Stupid!
After a short introduction by the Café’s director, Ray Korona, the three performers lit into a smart take-off of The Music Man’s “Pick-a-Little, Talk-a-Little” making hilarious fun of today’s obsession with electronic devices: cell phones, dot-coms, e-mail, etc. They then proceeded to take on all the hypocrisies and idiocies of modern American current events such as the Iraq war (to “Yankee Doodle”), the Bush legacy (“Broken Promises and Broken Hearts”), entrenched unemployment (“All God’s Children Got Jobs”) and the ever-increasing recession (“Recession” to the tune of Fiddler on the Roof’s “Tradition”).
Mr. Landy sang “Eve of Depression” (to the tune of “Eve of Destruction”) making an already distressing Sixties’ tune even more so. He also jabbed out at the loss of clarity and form in the English language due to computer jargon and TV “pundits.”
Mr. Leavitt did a witty version of “I Write the Songs” entitled “I Write the Laws” in which he pointedly skewered self-serving lawmakers.
I WRITE THE LAWS
To the tune of “I Write the Songs”
By Bruce Johnston, Popularized by Barry Manilow
Revised lyrics by Marc Crawford Leavitt 2010 1.
I’ve been alive forever and I wrote the very first laws
I had the might and the power to enforce them
I am MONEY, AND I WRITE THE LAWS.
I write the laws that make the whole world sing.
You’re out of tune if that cash register don’t ring.
I write the laws so only poor folks cry
I write the laws, I write the laws.
2.
My home’s the halls of Congress and state halls throughout the land
Campaign laws try to limit me
But the High Court shortly may make them banned
I write the laws that concentrate the wealth.
Too bad for public good or worsening health.
I write the laws and people wonder why
‘Cause voters let me, that’s why.
Oh, I usually wear pants. I make the politicians dance,
And I hire great P. R. so you think it’s cool.
I pour into campaigns like the easy April rains.
Good for me, bad for you, you don’t know ‘til I’m through
That the whole country is full of fools
3.
I write the laws that make taxes unfair
The super rich need never pay their fair share.
Some day the middle class may put up a fight
‘Till then I’ll keep writing the laws.
I am MONEY, AND I WRITE THE LAWS.
Ms. Stone sang about being forced to choose between having free time to enjoy life and having a job to afford this supposedly good life. She also sang a paean to Mr. Leavitt’s sadly unsuccessful run for the Queens Borough President office, pointing out his courage and tenacity, much to the humble Mr. Leavitt’s discomfort.
They all joined in on songs about the removal of the estate tax (“Be Generous When You Die”), the mortgage crisis (to the tune of “Old MacDonald”), how college grads can’t get jobs (“Down by the Riverside”), the brain-softening effect of watching too much Fox TV, the medical insurance crisis (“Let’s Pull the Plug on Grandma!”), etc. They pretty much covered and brilliantly savaged all the evils of the day, even if they were preaching to the choir.
The three performers turned the Community Church meeting room into a warm, inviting living room, performing before a sold-out house of devotees. Rachel Stone ( http://www.rachelstonemusic.com ) has a charmingly folksy, slightly ragged soprano—quite an effective tool with which to communicate her ideas. Mr. Leavitt (http://www.poltunes.com ) is the charming, straightforward everyman with a natural sweet baritone and Mr. Landy’s voice ( http://www.singfreedom.org ) is a cross between Tim Buckley and Phil Ochs, particularly warm when singing his own, original songs.
The Peoples’ Voice Café presents a series of events throughout the year. Judging from the enthusiastic full house at It’s Still the Economy, Stupid!, these events promise to be satisfyingly entertaining and meaningful.
IT’S STILL THE ECONOMY, STUPID!
Peoples’ Voice Café at the Community Church of New York – Unitarian Universalist
40 East 35th St. (bet. Park & Madison Aves.)
New York, NY
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