A recent New York Times article about the lack of protest songs at Occupy Wall Street has prompted a fierce response from friends, most of whom have written such songs in the past. One came today from my friend, the great Melvin Van Peebles—actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and music composer. Yes, Melvin has done it all!
Though Melvin is most famous for creating the indie film hit, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, he directed the motion picture comedy Watermelon Man in 1970, which starred Godfrey Cambridge as a bigoted white insurance insurance salesman who wakes up one morning to find that he has become a black man.
Melvin sent me a song from that movie called Love, That’s America, which he recorded 41 years ago. He said he’s thinking of recording a new version of it since “it’s still fresh today.” In the meantime, BW Moving Images has done a video to the song. We live in a time of raging video production that mirrors protests in the streets.
Words & Music Melvin Van Peebles © Copyright 1970
EXCUSE ME BUDDY BUT
EXCUSE ME LADY BUT
YOU FOOLIN AINT YOU
WHERE CAN I BE
THIS AINT AMERICA IS IT
NAW THIS AINT AMERICA
YOU CANT FOOL ME
THIS HERES THE HOME OF THE SHERIFF
NOT THE LAND OF THE FREE
IN AMERICA FOLKS DONT RUN THROUGH THE STREETS
BLOOD STREAMING FROM WHERE THEY BEEN BEAT
AND THE PARKS ARE FOR THE PEOPLE
AND THE COPS IN THE GOOD OLD U S A
DONT THINK THEYRE SOME KINDA GODS EITHER
NAW THIS AINT AMERICA
YOU CANT FOOL ME
IF YOU DONT SPIT THE RIGHT IMAGE
THEY JUST PULL OUT THEIR D.D.T.
IF THEY DONT LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOK
THEY JUST LAW AND ORDER AND TRICK AND TRIP
NAME AND FRAME AND BLAME
JUST LEGISLATE AND CLUB AWAY
AND JUST LAUGH LOUDER AND LOUDER
NAW THIS AINT AMERICA
YOU CANT FOOL ME
LOVE THATS AMERICA
OPEN ARMS FOR EVERY CREATURE
LOVE THATS AMERICA
OPEN ARMS TO EVERY MAN
LOVE THATS AMERICA
JOY AND PEACE AND HARMONY
LOVE THATS AMERICA
CHILDREN WITH LAUGHING EYES
LOVE THATS AMERICA
YES LOVE THATS AMERICA
LOVE THATS AMERICA
THE OLD EAGLE WEARING A GRIN
LOVE THATS AMERICA
OUR OLD EAGLE SOARING
THIS HERES THE LAND OF THE SNIPER
NOT THE HOME OF THE BRAVE
OH SAY CANT YOU SMELL ARE YOU TOO SMUG TO SEE
GREED DONE PULLED THE PLUG
YOUR DEMOCRACYS DEFROSTING
SOMETHINGS GONE ROTTEN
SMELLS LIKE JUSTICE AND LIBERTY
NAW THIS AINT AMERICA
YOU CANT FOLL ME
EXCUSE ME BUT SERIOUSLY
WHICH WAY TO THE GOLD OLE U S A
THIS AINT NOTHING LIKE THE PLACE I WANT TO BE
NOT AS FAR AS I CAN SEE
I DONT CARE WHAT YOU SAY
HEY WHY YOU POINTING THAT THIS WAY
THIS SURE AINT AMERICA IS IT
NAW THIS AINT AMERICA
