History’s satirical echo

Marx once famously said that “history repeats itself…first as a tragedy and then as a farce”

Here then is a song that uncannily sings about the economic fall that we see around us today and all the black comedy associated with it.

The song is “I am changing my name to Chrysler”, a biting satire on the farce that is “free-market”, a term beloved to those who unquestioningly embrace capitalism in all its forms. The song is sung by Arlo Guthrie, son of Woody Guthrie along with Pete Seeger (lyrics by Tom Paxton) – the best people undoubtedly to sing a song which with its simple lyrics tears apart capitalist gospel.

 

The song is about half a century old yet what it talks about is uncannily familiar to us – right from corporate behemoths running around with a begging bowl to AIG giving bonuses from the people’s money and the ones losing out in it all – you and me.

It’s a must hear not only for its timelessness or for its humorous, black satire but most importantly, because its an example of a song that is visual in its lyrics and was not made for the purpose of selling maximum copies. Its a throwback to times when songs were much closer to people and the lives they led rather than being beholden to marketing objectives.

But if for nothing else, hear it for the humour…it is sure to bring a smile, especially the last paragraph

You can download the song from here or from here

and here are the lyrics to the song…

Enjoy song activism at its best…

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