I love XTC. And that's sometimes been a hard thing for a black man to admit in my neighborhood and especially among family and friends. But hey, I like what I like. And XTC reminds me of the days when people over 30 could appear on MTV without a court order.
However as my iPod was whirling through a number of the 7,485 songs I've stuffed into the grooves of its furiously spinning hard drive, it finally hit upon a song I haven't heard in awhile.
XTC's "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead." And I got to thinking . . .
To some it may be a stretch. And I'm sure the Obamaniacs and Clintonistas will snicker at me equating John with a "pumpkinhead." Make fun of me if you want, but this one is strictly for the Edwards partisans.
The lyrics to "The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead":
Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the vatican what gold's for
Of course we know that Edwards has been a champion of the poor for a very long time. It is the fight of his life.
But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?
Oh my!
As an Edwards supporter, how many times have you hear Edwards speak out about economic fairness and workers' rights and said "God John, I love what you're saying, but these f*ckers play for keeps." Anyone out there who thinks about Paul Wellstone when John lays it out there against Big Business knows what I'm talking about. Although, these je(R)ks seem to enjoy murder by keyboard and microphone more than anything else.
Peter Pumpkinhead pulled them all
Emptied churches and shopping malls
Where he spoke, it would raise the roof
Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth
But he made too many enemies...
John is packing the crowds in like never before on the trail. A lot is made of a certain candidate (to be unnamed) with a gift for oratory. John has that skill interwoven with a substance and specificity that is making people take notice.
Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame
Governments who would slur his name
Plots and sex scandals failed outright
Peter merely said
Any kind of love is alright
But he made too many enemies...
All I can think of all the right wing harpies, Foxagandists, and sleazy tabloids trying to take him down. But they bounce off him and it makes them even angrier. Because he refuses to take the bait and largely smiles in the face of their malevolent silliness.
Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!
But he made too many enemies...
Now here is where I thought this could stand for what happened to him during the Kerry/Edwards fiasco. He eagerly accepted a VP nod for a ticket he really thought was going to take it to the opposition. Instead, he was nailed to a chunk of wood. Not Kerry so much, but the campaign effort itself. Nailed to campaign consultants and poll testing and not a lot a real truth telling.
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkin
Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead
Oh my oh my oh!
Don't it make you want to cry oh?
And here's where I diverge from the song a bit. Edwards supporters have been saying "Hooray" for almost two years now, but there are no tears being shed. Even with its fatalistic ending, I've always viewed this song (before I even knew who John Edwards was) as representing that, no matter what's thrown at them, the forces of good will always triumph over the forces that try to silence progress.
So this is not a sad song, but a call to political and social arms. Voices like John's will not muted by peroxide-coiffed broomsticks, Pravda-like "news" organizations, tired political names, or megawatt celebrity endorsements.
This election will be won on substance and great ideas. Call it hope. Call it experience. Call it change. I just know that historically, when average Americans finally have enough of being pushed around, they fight.
I have no doubt John Edwards will be leading the charge.