| The Latest Release: 
"CITIZENS UNITED The Song" Music | Lyrics |
When I first heard about the Citizens United decision, I was horrified but not surprised. The majority of the present Supreme Court justices arrived there under murky circumstances. Two of them were appointed by Ronald Reagan. By most accounts, he gained his authority to appoint justices by negotiating with a foreign government, Iran, to hold back the release of the American hostages held by that government... until he could secure his election by defeating Jimmy Carter. Herbert Walker (Daddy) Bush became Vice President at the same time as a result of that complicity with Iran. He gained his authority to nominate Supreme Court justices after succeeding Ronald Reagan. After eight years as being Vice President, he still needed to engage in what is widely considered the nastiest campaign in modern presidential history. Lee Atwater, his campaign manager, later felt compelled to apologize for the conduct of that campaign. And of course, how that authority to appoint was used, choosing Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall, deserves to be the subject of another song. |
Which brings us to George Bush II. What can I say besides Florida? And that brings us two more illegitimate justices. So, as I said, I wasn't surprised. My most profound reaction was to that name itself, "Citizens United". I started writing this song over a year ago. As with my song, RIDING AROUND IN MY HUMMER, which was inspired the moment I saw a big, yellow, horrifying Hummer in my neighborhood, I started writing this song the first day I read about the decision. Unlike the Hummer song, which was completed and recorded in one day, this song took me well over a year to complete. It became what it is because of the profound guidance and direction from my beloved Mama Dish. The more I worked on it the more I realized that there was so much more to it than the desolate irony of its name.......... Papa Dish VIEW THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
"ELIZABETH WARREN'S WORDS" Music | Lyrics |
I have long admired Elizabeth Warren for her clear-eyed assessment of the current state of our economy. |
Once I heard it, I couldn't get it out of my mind.
I decided to use her words as the basis of a song. I looked up the text, and decided that it was pretty near perfect. I really couldn't add or take anything away. I'm sure that she never could have imagined her words would become song lyrics, but it is innately musical.
I needed to make some minor changes for an artistic fit, but very few. And I invite those who pretend to disagree with Elizabeth Warren's words to write their own song. - Papa Dish .........so, this is the song: And this is a link to the video that inspired me to write the song: |
"The Time is Now" Music | Lyrics |
Click to download or play the MP3 © 2011 Papa Dish We can all agree that political corruption and institutional corruption is at the heart of our current sad state of affairs. But more than that, it is complacency that is our greatest enemy. Waiting for others to rise up is not the answer. We must do what we can to bring about change. We have the tools. It's up to us. |
VIEW THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
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Brooklyn
Blues / Québec Muse |
This album represents recordings which were done between 2002 and 2010. Some elements of the music were conceived as early as 1968. One was actually written in 1978, while traveling over the Tappan Zee Bridge in the back of a van. I was on the way to open a show for my friends Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at a club in Woodstock, New York. Most of this music, though, was written in Brooklyn and Québec, my geographical muses, close to the time they were recorded. I am not sure what inspires me so much almost exclusively in those two locations, but it must be the proximity to the sea. Having grown up in the mountains, I have always been drawn to the sea. If the Midwest is America's Heartland, New York harbor is its greatest valve, and still carries all the inspiring power and energy that Walt Whitman wrote about so eloquently. And the Saint-Laurent, the great estuary that drains the Great Lakes and opens up to its majestic gulf, holds a power over me that can best be described by the music I have written in its valley. The synchronicity of my son Pete Tridish giving me one of a new generation of recording devices in 2000, and the "Stolen Election" followed by the tragedy of September 11th, opened up the most productive time of my life as an artist. It was political protest that was always my greatest motivator. As a political songwriter, no period called for action as much as the last decade. With the constant collaboration and support of my beloved Mama Dish, the musical drive was so strong, the issues so imperative, that music spilled out of me and into recording devices, even beyond the political songs. This collection is from that musical overflow. There is a certain unevenness about this album. Since it was recorded in two different countries, at different locations, with different recording devices and different instruments it is unlike the studio recordings of today. Even with my modern digital recorders, it is more like the field recordings of early folk music collections. I am perfectly happy about that because my identity as an artist has always been as a folk musician Papa Dish |
Papa Dish: composing and performing progressive folk and blues. Papa Dish Music produces and distributes limited edition home-made CD's and graphics. (Revolution Through Office Supplies.) Click on the links below to hear the newest royalty-free downloads from Papa Dish and to read the lyrics. All songs copyright Papa Dish 2010. VIEW THE COMPLETE COLLECTION
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The Time is Now! music |
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Brooklyn Blues/Québec Muse Song Selection |
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In
yet another sordid tale so familiar to the morally bankrupt Bush administration,
we learn about the brothers Krongard, Howard "Cookie" and
Alvin "Buzzy". Read
more... |
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Livin'
in a Red State with the Blue State Blues (for Bill & Marilyn Blizard) Papa Dish provides a balm for Democrats who feel as though they're all alone in their Red states. music | lyrics |
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We
Are an Unruly People The second collection of Papa Dish favorites. A record of that slog from 2004-2006. Hopefulness about a new election, devastation with defeat...anger, sadness, disbelief. Then, there are the local political corruption stories that Brooklyn is famous for. It's time for a revolution...local and national. Song List |
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No
More Years! |
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They
Can't Keep Their Eyes Off Chavez The democratically elected leader of Venezuela having a mind of his own just doesn’t cut it with the bullying neocons and their lust for Venezuelan oil. music / música | lyrics Y para nuestros amigos latinos, la letra en español...  |
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Dr.
Bruce Comes to Town |
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The
September 11th Song |
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Papa
Dish Plays the White House The new compilation album of Papa Dish's latest songs |
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That
Howard Dean |
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Valley
Free Radio Launch
music The Valley Free Radio Low- Power FM Station Launch/Grassroots Radio Conference, hosted by The Prometheus Radio Project. Soundtrack of the closing day festivities by PapaDish. Image by Phyllis Wrynn. |
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If you want to contact Papa Dish, please email papadish@earthlink.net All songs
copyright 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2010 Papa Dish "The
September 11th Song" cover photograph "Scale in New York City"
©2000 George Forss
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