The John McCain Blues

I am, strangely enough, feeling almost optimistic about the election. Partially because of something Obama said in an excellent article this weekend in The New York Times Magazine, when the reporter asked him about how he would appeal to the working-class white guys who are so opposed to him.

“If I’m able to change this,” he told me on his plane, meaning the cultural breach in our politics, “then it’s probably going to be most powerful after I’m elected, when you’re no longer in the context of day-to-day battle, and I can prove it by what I do.”

In any case, I decided to redo the old blues “Cocaine” (no relation to the J.J. Cale tune covered by Eric Clapton) changing the refrain from “Cocaine, running ’round my brain” to “John McCain, going down the drain,” since that does seem to be what’s happening.

John McCain Blues (Down the Drain)
Lyrics copyright © 2008 by Ken Ficara

I walked down Broadway, turned up Main
Talking about this dirty campaign
John McCain, going down the drain

Eight long years of lies and war
Maybe we won’t have to do four more
John McCain, going down the drain

     Get out the vote, get it out quick
     This old McCain is making me sick
     John McCain, going down the drain

He’s for corporations, not for men
His health care will kill you but he won’t say when
John McCain, going down the drain

He’s got the winking witch of the west beside him
Couldn’t answer questions from Joe Biden
John McCain — and Palin — going down the drain

     Get out the vote, get it out quick…
     This old McCain is making me sick
     John McCain, going down the drain

So many states that used to be red
All turning to blue instead
John McCain, going down the drain

Joe the Plumber didn’t pay his taxes
Poor old John don’t know what the facts is
John McCain, going down the drain

     He used to be a hero but now he’s a goat
     Lost all his principles looking for votes
     John McCain, going down the drain