Statues on the Move

With apologies to the late Gil Scott-Heron

and his song "Whitey on the Moon"

Santa Fe New Mexican Photo Credit to Matt Dahlseid

I keep thinking that its easier to tear down statues than solve real problems. The fact that these statues are still up rubs some raw and for historically good reasons, but there are other pressing problems that keep everybody down. Getting rid of statues won't open the economy, get the unemployment rate down, or lower the price of a house in the City Indifferent. But it will feel socially just.

Then I thought of Gil Scot Heron and realized that reality doesn't change, it just changes form. Hence my piss poor takeoff on Gil Scot-Heron's really cool song.

I lost my job to the covid

With statues on the move

The checkbook is getting awfully thin

With statues on the move

The landlord wants his rent today

With statues on the move

He said he’ll raise the rent any day

With statues on the move
I think he bought his thirteenth house
"investment property", they say
with statues on the move

But I can't afford a house today

With statues on the move

And my doctor locked his doors today
Because I can't afford the co-pay

With statues on the move

I wonder where I’ll get a job today

With statues on the move

Or why the NIMBYs cancelled that new rental place

With statues on the move

They say this is a progressive town

With statues on the move

But all I see is surface rage

With statues on the move

So here I sit all day today

Watchin' the kids cause they can’t go play

My wife is having a breakdown

And for me there is no job around

The car is low on gas

  the governor shut the bike shop down fast

I’m a nervous wreck but there’s no way out

And I wonder why all this big bad pout

Over a statue sitting in the middle of town
When my whole life is spinning down

Well, those statues are on the move

So I think I’ll write all these issues down

While I’m sittin here with this frown

Figuring out how to survive in an expensive town

Looking for some answers true

So I'll send my questions, return postage due

To this town's Mayor
c/o the office of Statues on the Move


And I did see Gil Scott-Heron perform at Stony Brook back in the 1980's. He did this song.