Tag Archives: gospel of greed

A Thousand Lies

Nine days from now, on the 2015 Autumnal Equinox, Wednesday, September 23, A Year of Songs will be 10 years old.

After over 400 posts that included 300 songs — that were downloaded over a half million times from Archive.org — I admit, I had let the pace slack. OK, I put a landing page randomizer on it so people would see something different every time they visited and pretended that was close enough for blogland.

But, of course… the caged bird must sing. If you can call it singing…

I’ve Got a Thousand Lies 
(originally, Bridge to Nowhere)

I’ve got a thousand lies
I can’t wait to tell you
I’ve got a bridge to nowhere
I know I could sell you
I’ve got a real nice dream
as phony as hell
you know it’s all a
part of the game

I know the rules
I’m making them up
anything that works
just to stay on top
I don’t care who
else takes the drop
’cause it’s all a
part of the game

tell a lie often enough
people forget
where the truth leaves off
but usually the truth —
it’s just not enough
besides it’s all a part of the game

I’ve got a reason
for all that I do
life’s got a meaning
I’ll explain it to you
it’s all about me
it’s not about you and
it’s all a part of the game

2008-09-19
©2008, TK Major

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Giving money to hookers and screwing your friends…

Gospel of Greed

It’s the Gospel of Greed
used to call it the Age of Me
— but it isn’t just I.
Honey, it’s them and thee…

Internet Archive page for this recording

previous AYoS versions
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Friday, March 17, 2006

Gospel of Greed

It’s the Gospel of Greed
used to call it the Age of Me
but it isn’t just I
Honey, it’s them and thee

Now it’s natural to want to
take care of yourself
but when you take too much
you steal from someone else

and if you think they’re gonna take it lying down
you must be some kinda politician or TV-preacher clown
riding around in your Mercedes Benz
givin’ money to hookers and screwing your friends

(You’re singing)
I don’t care if the Eskimos freeze
long as they don’t sneeze on me
I don’t care if the starving survive
long as they don’t try to make a feast of a slice of my pie

(C)1990, TK Major

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The root of all evil… [The Gospel of Greed]

XXXXX

There’s enlightened self-interest.

And then there’s greed.

If you imagined that there was a self-interest organ (and I think they have found a brain chemical that correlates to aquisitiveness) then greed would be like a viral infection of that organ, pumping out more toxins that further inflame the organ, weakening it, and allowing the viral infection to proceed.

Anyhow… I think the metaphor/simile section of my brain is inflamed.

As I explained when I posted the previous version of this song, it was smack dab in the middle of the Greed Is Good Era that this song was written. It should be noted that I’m a businessman, myself, and don’t think there’s anything wrong with making money in fair transactions. I think sensible self-interest is good. It’s what separates the ants from the grasshoppers, I guess.

That said, there’s nothing I like better than doin’ a little fiddlin’ on a late autumn afternoon.

Metaphorically speaking.

previous AYoS version (Nov. 16)

Gospel of Greed

It’s the Gospel of Greed
used to call it the Age of Me
but it isn’t just I
Honey, it’s them and thee

Now it’s natural to want to
take care of yourself
but when you take too much
you steal from someone else

and if you think they’re gonna take it lying down
you must be some kinda politician or TV-preacher clown
riding around in your Mercedes Benz
givin money to hookers and screwing your friends

(You’re singing)
I don’t care if the Eskimos freeze
long as they don’t sneeze on me
I don’t care if the starving survive
long as they don’t try to make a feast of a slice of my pie

(C)1990, TK Major

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Gospel of Greed

Gospel of Greed
Matthew 19:24

I shoulda been a preacher.

I’ve got it in me.

Not the good kind of preacher, who is always there to help or talk his parishioners through life’s troubles. Who gives and gives and never thinks of himself.

Not hardly.

No. Of course, I mean the bad kind of preacher.

Not necessarily Robert Mitchum in Night of the Hunter… but something on that continuum. The sinner-preacher. Seducing the spinsters and lonely housewives and cheating the men in land deals. Maybe run for office, too… makes a certain kind of sense.

And that brings us smack face to face with this song…

produced version [soundclick]

Gospel of Greed

It’s the gospel of greed
they call it the age of me
but it isn’t just I
Honey, it’s them and thee

Now it’s natural to want to
take care of yourself
but when you take too much
you steal from someone else

and if you think they’re gonna take it lying down
you must be some kinda politician or TV-preacher clown
riding around in your Mercedes Benz
givin money to hookers and screwing your friends

(You’re singing)
I don’t care if the Eskimos freeze
long as they don’t sneeze on me
I don’t care if the starving survive
long as they don’t try to make a feast of a slice of my pie

(C)1990, TK Major

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