Pacifica Rocks! Theme Song for Public Radio

[emilynghiem]

Proud to support Pacifica
(inspired by God Bless the USA)

After Clinton clobbered Sanders
And Trump beat us and won
We scream and screech:
Resist! Impeach!
Still getting NOTHING done

We wasted campaign dollars
While we can't pay our own debts
But there's still one station
One safe place
for Loonies on the Left:

Yeah I'm proud to support Pacifica
Where free speech don't come free
So I'll give up lunch
to pledge each month
To save my sanity
Cuz I'd rather raise up
A million bucks
And build bridges, not more walls
Through stations spanning
This great land
All run by Liberals!

From our humble birth at Berkeley
To our newest in DC
We came back from the Klan attacks
That bombed K P F T
Where Ray Hill's famous Prison Show
Has multiplied worldwide
From K P F K in LA
to W B A I

That's why I support Pacifica
And progressive unity
So I'll overcharge my credit card
To get that pledge from me
Cuz I'd rather raise up
A billion bucks
Buildin' bridges not more walls
And fill the bands of radio land
With crazy Liberals!

With Democrats still fighting
More divided than the right:
Should we exit? Should we stay?
The workers must unite!
Why waste our hard earned dollars
On crooks who sell us cheap
The people are the government
When we practice what we preach

Let's all support Pacifica
Invest our money there
To represent our true consent
With Power we can share
If it takes a few bucks from each of us
Let's build communities
on free choice and equal voice
and true democracy!

-- first draft Nov 2017
dedicated to Ray Hill and Dr. Kamau
of KPFT Houston for their Birthdays

 

[emilynghiem]

Draft Two:

After Clinton clobbered Sanders
And Trump beat us and won
We scream and screech:
Resist! Impeach!
Still getting NOTHING done

We wasted campaign dollars
While we can't pay our own debts
But there's still one station
One safe place
for Loonies on the Left:

Yeah I'm glad to support Pacifica
Where free speech don't come free
So I'll give up lunch
to pledge each month
To save my sanity
Cuz I'd rather raise up
A million bucks
And build bridges, not more walls
Through stations spanning
This great land
All run by Liberals!

From our humble birth at Berkeley
To our newest in DC
We came back when the Klan attacked
And bombed K P F T
Where Ray Hill's famous Prison Show
Has multiplied worldwide
From K P F K in LA
to W B A I

That's why I support Pacifica
For progressive unity
And I overcharged my credit card
To get that pledge from me
Cuz I'd rather raise up
A billion bucks
To build Justice not more walls
And fill the bands of radio land
With crazy Liberals!
[or with "peaceful" Liberals:

With Democrats still fighting
More divided than the right:
Should we exit? Should we stay?
The workers must unite!
Why donate hard earned dollars
To crooks who sell/sold us cheap
The people ARE the government
When we practice what we preach

That's why we support Pacifica
And invest our money there
To represent our true consent
With Power we can share
If it takes a few bucks from each of us
Let's help communities
Defend free choice and equal voice
For/With true democracy!

-- second draft Nov 2017
also dedicated to Jim Guinn
and wonderful memories of his
political song spoofs that were
always kinder and gentler than mine

 

[emilynghiem]

Draft Three:

After Clinton clobbered Sanders
And Trump beat us and won
We scream and screech:
Resist! Impeach!
Still getting NOTHING done

We wasted campaign dollars
While we can't pay our own debts
But there's still one station
One safe place
for Loonies on the Left:

Yeah I'm proud to support Pacifica
Where free speech don't come free
So I'll give up lunch
to pledge each month
To save my sanity
Cuz I'd rather raise up
A million bucks
To build bridges, not more walls
Through stations spanning
This great land
All run by Liberals!

From our humble birth at Berkeley
To our newest in DC
We came back when the Klan attacked
And bombed K P F T
Where Ray Hill's famous Prison Show
Has multiplied worldwide
From K P F K in LA
to W B A I

That's why I support Pacifica
For progressive unity
And I overcharged my credit card
To get that pledge from me
Cuz I'd gladly cough up
A hundred bucks
When Peace and Justice calls
To fill the bands of radio land
With miserable Liberals!

With Democrats still fighting
More divided than the right:
Should we exit? Should we stay?
The workers must unite!
Why donate hard earned dollars
To crooks who sell us cheap
The people ARE the government
When we practice what we preach

That's why we love Pacifica
And invest our money there
Electing Boards
to sit and hoard
the Power that we share
Just a few bucks
from each of us
Can help communities
Defend free choice and equal voice
and true Democracy.

We're proud to invest in Pacifica
And elected leaders there
To represent our true consent
With Power we can share
If only takes a few bucks from each of us
We can help communities
Defend free choice and equal voice
For true democracy!