Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Songs About People # 91 Robert McNamara


The most name-dropping song of them all. The page devoted to it on Wikipedia lists over thirty people in all. Chock a block in less than two and half minutes. Of course a Dylan parody, Paul Simon always had and probably still has a chip on both of his small shoulders about Bob. Nicely done in any case. Robert McNamara by the way was US Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968.

'I been Norman Mailered, Maxwell Taylored
I been John O'Hara'd, McNamara'd
I been Rolling Stoned and Beatled till I'm blind
I been Ayn Randed, nearly branded
A Communist, 'cause I'm left-handed
That's the hand I use, well never mind
I been Phil Spectored, resurrected
I been Lou Adlered, Barry Sadlered
Well, I paid all the dues I want to pay
And I learned the truth from Lenny Bruce
And all of my wealth won't buy me health
So I smoke a pint of tea a day
I know a man's brain's so small
He couldn't think of nothing at all
Not the same as you and me
He doesn't dig poetry
He's so unhip when you say Dylan
He thinks you're talking about Dylan Thomas
Whoever he was, the man ain't got no culture
But it's alright, ma, everybody must get stoned
I been Mick Jaggered, been silver daggered
Andy Warhol, won't you please come home?
I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled
I just discovered somebody's tapped my phone.'

SongwritersPaul SimonPublished byPAUL SIMON MUSIC


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