2004 Lyrics
In January of 2004, I performed the following and other songs in IOWA at shows for Howard Dean at Uncle Nancy's Coffee House, On-the-Square in Newton (home of the late great Maytag factories), at Sam and Gabe's Restaurant in Des Moines, and in people's homes.
IOWA VICTORY FOR DEAN (2004)
Sung To the tune of "Iowa Stubborn" from "The Music Man!"
By Meredith Willson
Revised lyrics by Marc Crawford Leavitt
There'll be nothing half-way about the IOWA win for Howard
When he beats them, which will really say it all.
Then the country will see that the IOWA choice of leadership
Will lead us to the White House in the fall.
Although it's cold as the falling thermometer in the winter,
We look forward to a very warm July…
In Boston, where old foes unite and all cheer for Howard
Although previously they didn't see eye to eye…
So what the heck! Come join us! See you at the caucus!
We can make an impact although IOWA is small.
We really ought to give HOWARD DEAN victory in IOWA,
Dubuque, Des Moines, Davenport, Marshaltown, Mason City,
Keokuk, Ames, Clearlake!
VICTORY IN IOWA FOR DEAN!
YA GOT TROUBLE - IOWA Caucas Version
Sung to the tune from "The Music Man!"
Lyrics by Marc Crawford Leavitt
with apologies to composer Meredith Willson
Prof. Harold Hill: Friends, either you are closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster indicated by the presence of George W. Bush in the White House.
Well, Ya got trouble, my friends. Right here, I say, trouble right here in the country!
Why sure I'm a New Yorker, certainly mighty proud to say,
I'm always mighty proud to say it...
I consider the years I spent among di-verse cultures are golden!
Help you cultivate tolerance and ways to solve tough problems.
'Jever try to figure how to make good jobs for immigrants without good English?
Well just as I say it takes judgement, brains and maturity to deal with the modern world,
I say that any boob can cry for war and wrap hisself in the flag.
And I call that wrong! A big wrong step that only hurts our country's rep-u-ta…
He said first it was weapons of mass destruction, and then it was somethin' else.
And the next thing ya know ya got Congress BUSH-WAGGED to vote for war in Iraq
And list'nin' to British spy jazz 'bout plutonium.
Not about terrorists, no! But some big hype 'bout NUCULAR War.
Like it when Halliburton gets your jobs, and you get unemployment?
Make your blood boil? Well, I should say.
Now friends, lemme tell you what I mean:
Ya got 1 - 2, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 choices for president,
But one could mark the difference 'tween loss and victo-ree,
with a capital "V", and that rhymes with "D" and that stands for DEAN!
And all month long your Washington folk 'ave been critical o' Dean,
I say, critical,
Missin' the forest for the trees the whole time, too!
As for tax cuts, never mind that the rich get richer
While the rest of us all get pounded.
Never mind plannin' for the future while the country gets caught
With the treasury empty and the deficit swells, and that's trouble,
Oh yes, ya got lots and lots 'a trouble. I'm thinkin' of the
Kids needin' education, shirt-tail, young ones,
Without good programs after school, ya got trouble, folks,
Right here in this country.
We need a man who can lead, name starts with "D"
and that stands for DEAN!
Now I know all you folks are the right kind a people.
I'm gonna be perfectly frank.
I think that Edwards, Gephardt, Lieberman, Kerry & Clark are all good men,
And also Kucinich, Carol Moseley Braun, and even Reverend Al Sharpton
have a lot of good things to say, but the tell-tale fact is comin' up soon when
Monday night, the caucus votes 'll go to the dance of the media,
And thru-out the nation, for men and women a light bulb of realization:
HOWARD DEAN should lead our party to a better country with peace and jobs.
MASS VICTORY! Friends, voter apathy is the devil's playground.
Trouble…
With Bush in the White House
In the capital, we need a brand new President, PRESIDENT DEAN.
We've surely got trouble, right here in this country.
Howard is the man to make our coun-try's morals clean!
Oh, we got trouble. With Bush in the White House
With a capital B, don't rhyme with "F", but F stands for fool.
But can we change it? Right here in IOWA?
Remember the Maine, "Read My Lips", and the Golden Rule.
Our children's children gonna have trouble.
Oh, we got trouble. We got terrible, terrible trouble.
But Iowa CAN change it all, if ya know what I mean.
Yes, Iowa CAN mean Vic'try, (yes, it can, it can)
With a capital "V" Gotta rhyme it with "D" and that stands for DEAN!
GEORGIE DOODLE (2004)
Sung To the tune of "Yankee Doodle"
Revised lyrics by Marc Crawford Leavitt
Georgie Doodle sends to Baghdad, just to squash a pho-ny,
Waves of bombers, fleets of ships so far away from home.
CHORUS:
Oh, Georgie, is the market up?
Ain’t your job just dandy?
When you don’t know what to do
A war is very handy!
This parody may be used with credit to lyricist Marc Crawford Leavitt. www.POLTUNES.com
Rummy says, "Saddam’s a meany; he’ll do mass destruction.
Our bombs are so much cleaner, killing without muck." Shucks!
Chuck and Hil'ry joined the Senate signing Georgie's blank check.
Sadly, now there is a war we have them both to thank. Heck!
Teddy sounded very cautious, with a second thought, …er,
Warning George that, "Too much passion gets you in hot wat-er!"
"No, no, no!" said Kofi Annan, "We must act together.
Make Saddam be a good boy and tighten up his tether!"
Wish Iraq had no more oil, then it wouldn’t mat-ter.
George could be a Texas Ranger, just another bat-ter.
Each stealth bomber costs 2 billion but we needn't wor-ry.
New math in our children's schools means minus in a hur-ry.
Georgie says that "Might makes right!" but many don't agree, so
Years of acts against our country we are sure to see. Oh,
Georgie says about his war, "Yur for me, or ya are-n’t.
‘Sides the people who’ll be killed are very few or for-eign."