Song picture
The Mascot
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acoustic folk social commentary political satire western massachusetts oil coal climate change fracking incineration music for social change nuclear energy
Folk singer, social commentary, satire, people's stories, children's music
Hi Folks, The Bard Insurgent here. My comrade D.O. (the Poet Roofer) and I got that handle (The Bard Insurgents) from traveling town to town performing songs and poetry about people's lives. I've been performing since I was 3 years old, cutting my vocal chords on liturgical and classical music. I was a concert soloist as a child, when I wasn't herding cows, throwing hay and shoveling manure. During the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war, I began writing songs about social change. I left the country in 1970 and my dozen years in other countries, mostly in Africa & South America, have provided a global perspective to my music. My travels helped me realize that people all around the world are essentially the same in their basic life needs and their desires to live peacefully in their communities. These experiences have informed my commitment to working for international understanding as I organize at home. A powerful way to educate and inspire is with music. I tell people's stories, do social commentary with a touch of satire that I hope you enjoy and share with your friends, as well as sing together in the streets and in your living rooms. I also have children's music written for the children in my life with Jacob and Kayla as primary muses. Looking forward to seeing you on the road, Tom
Song Info
Charts
Peak #26
Peak in subgenre #4
Author
Tom Neilson
Rights
Tom Neilson
Uploaded
December 23, 2012
Track Files
MP3
MP3 2.4 MB 128 kbps 2:34
Story behind the song
The movement to change the racist logo of Frontier Regional High School became, perhaps, the most divisive issue to ever confront the school district. In the largest town meeting and only secret ballot in Conway’s history, (standing room only), Conway voted 226 to 201 to change the school mascot.
Lyrics
It’s ok to be a redskin, for 50 years an injun’ If Regional is where you go to school. It’s ok to be a savage. To scalp, & kill, & ravage So that white folks can identify with you. Cause your daddy was a redskin and his mom a squaw before him, Your injun genes go deep in history Redskins are so terrifying With their war hoops horrifying It’s an honor to depict ferocity. Why not honor camel jockeys, Japs & Chinks & Kikes & Wappies? Honor Raghead, Crout, & Wetback bravery? In the midst of all the trappings Of the paint and feather wrappings Is the trashing of a people’s dignity. Red Raiders are in Athol and the Indians of Turners Tomahawking with a noble savagery. When that tomahawk is chopping and that war dancer is hopping What kind of noble images are these? So the school committee said That the redskin figurehead As a logo was an impropriety. But Sunderland and Deerfield, and Whately, town by town Voted, “Save The Redskin!” Their identity. Well there are no alibis when you try to justify Why you glorify cultural exploitation. Your war hoops are to terrify Your scalping is to horrify To say you honor’s lacking in persuasion. So Rusty wrote a letter, said that Frontier could do better Than to keep this piece of racist imagery. And the people up in Conway said this logo should be passe And they voted for a bin in history.
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