These lyrics were written near the end of the Clinton years, in response to the WTO protests in Pearl Jam’s home, Seattle. Remember that? Remember those? Remember, before Bush Ⅱ, when the scale of world conflict was muted enough that trade imbalances made front page news?
Bush has come, Bush is gone. And gods did I hope I would not have cause to trot out these lyrics.
But yesterday and today, with news of Lieberman holding health care hostage in the Senate, with an intended destruction of the public option — the option that keeps the US from further becoming a corporate state, in the way that the U.S. is a corporate state insofar as its economy is concerned — and news that Obama is tentatively supporting this castration — It. Is. Fucking. Time. For these lyrics. Senators (most are millionaires): This is our blood. We need our blood. We want our independence from bloodthirsty corporations. We are deserving — we all are deserving — something more.
Grievance
Have a drink — they’re buying!
Bottom of bottle of denialBig guy, big eye watching me
Have to wonder what it sees
Progress laced with ramifications –
Freedom’s big plungePull the innocent from the crowd
Raise the sticks then bring them down
If they fail to obey
Oh, if they fail to obeyFor every tool they lend us, a loss of independence
I pledge my grievance to the flag
‘Cause you don’t give blood then take it back again
Oh, we’re all deserving something more!Progress! Taste it! Invest it all!
Champagne breakfast for everyone!Break the innocent when they’re proud
Raise the stakes then bring them down
If they fail to obey
Yeah, if they fail to obeyPledge your grievance to the flag!
Oh, come on! Don’t give blood then take it back again!
Oh, we’re all deserving something more!Have a, have a drink, drink!
Have a, have a drink, drink!I want to breathe part of the scene
I want to taste everyone I see
I want to run when I’m up high
I want to run into the sea
I want to life to be –
I just want to be –
To be –
I will feel alive as long as I am free
Pledge your grievance to your senators. Right now, while you’re emboldened and thinking about it.
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Pledge your grievance to your senators. Right now, while you’re emboldened and thinking about it.
Please — please — write. Even if you have great health care, I don’t. Even if you have great health care, you might not always. I had fantastic healthcare until I was wrongfully terminated.
Here’s what I wrote.
Pledge your grievance. Eddie would be proud of you. And I will be proud of you.