Song Of The Day

I first saw the video for this song on . . . television. Actually it was the remake by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, basically the Beatnigs in avant-hip-hop form. The Beatnigs came from that forgotten late 80s-early 90s era when alternative actually meant alternative, its last bang coming with Jane's Addiction's farewell tour - the first Lollapalooza. The Beatnigs combined industrial instrumentation, samples, funk basslines, spoken word, punk attitude and conscious black politics to create a unique sound and aesthetic. While their politics were often heavy-handed (song titles "Malcolm X" and "C.I.A." give a clue), the fact that they gave a shit - and no one gave a shit about Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy despite opening for bands like U2 and Nirvana - I view with nostalgia given the twin 90s domination of grunge apathy and hip-hop materialism. My favourite song by them is actually "Nature" (featuring the refrain, surprising from leftists, that "People are the best part of nature"), but the agitprop lyrics to this one stand out for being so gloriously dated and so gloriously not.

The Beatnigs - Television

One nation under God has turned into
One nation under the influence of one drug:
Television

T.V. is the reason why less than 10 per cent of our nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central America means Kansas
Communism means un-American*
and Apartheid is a new headache remedy

Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is the stomping ground for political candidates
Where bears in the woods are chased by Grecian Formula'd bald eagles
Where all you need to do to get elected is to make monkey movies
Where straight teeth in your mouth are more important than the words that come out of it
on:

Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is the place where self-canceling phrases like fresh shows, pop art and military intelligence have become standard
T.V. is the place where words are redefined
like terrorist to freedom fighter and Sandinista to aggressor regime

Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

T.V. is the place where the pursuit of happiness has become the pursuit of trivia
Where toothpaste and cars have become sex objects
Where Sesame Street has become more real than Hill Street

Television, the drug of the nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation

* Switched to "socialism" in the Disposable Heroes version