American Democracy is Almost Over

Charles Roth, 3 May 2025
Last update: 14 May 2025

I was visited by the ghost of Steve Goodman last night.

Or so it seems.  I woke up humming the tune to his song The Twentieth Century is Almost Over.  Some say John Prine had a hand in it, too.

But the words that came out of my mouth were "American Democracy... is almost over".  I think Steve and I are both pretty angry.

From there, the song wrote itself (with "a little help from my friend" Vikki Fielden).

Parody (?)    Original
Back in 1939, Hitler started singing his Ein, Ein, Ein Back in 1899, when everybody sang "Auld Lang Syne"
100 days of Trump, & we're back in that time, yes every boy and girl A 100 years took a long, long time for every boy and girl
Now there's only one thing that I'd like to know Now there's only one thing that I'd like to know
Where did American democracy go? Where did the 20th century go?
I'd swear it was here just a minute ago / All over this land I'd swear it was here just a minute ago / All over this world
 
Chorus:
And now American democracy is (x3) almost over And now the 20th century is (x3) almost over
American democracy is almost over The 20th century is almost over
(x3) All over this land (x3) All over this world
American democracy is almost over, all over this land The 20th century is almost over, all over this world
 
Does anyone remember the Great Depression? Does anyone remember the Great Depression?
Neither Xi nor Putin makin' any concessions I read all about it in True Confession
Read all about the on-coming recession I'm sorry I was late for the recording session
'Less the tariffs get put on hold But somebody put me on hold
Has anybody seen my lithium ores Has anybody seen my linoleum floors
Silicon wafers, or Rare Earth stores Petroleum jelly, and two World Wars?
They got stuck in the MAGA trade wars / All over this land They got stuck in the revolving doors / All over this world
 
Winters getting warmer, summers getting hotter The winter's getting colder, summer's getting hotter
The southwest states are runnin' out of water Wishin' well's wishin' for another drop of water
Mother Earth's fryin' cause somebody oughter And Mother Earth's blushin' 'cause somebody caught her
Save the planet 'stead of flyin' to Mars Makin' love to the Man in the Moon
Tell me how you gonna harvest crops on the farm Tell me how you gonna keep 'em down on the farm
Since immigrant workers have lost their charm Now that outer space has lost it's charm?
I-C-E set off a burglar alarm
Somebody set off a burglar alarm
Xenophobia's gone too far! And not a moment too soon
 
Cory Booker's best is long filibuster yappin' Old Father Time has got his toes a tappin'
SCOTUS barely gave Trump's knuckles a rappin' Standing in the window, grumblin' and a rappin'
Everybody's waiting for their arrest to happen Everybody's waiting for something to happen
Tell me if it happens to you! Tell me if it happens to you!
Election Day proved a real disaster The Judgment Day is getting nearer
We traded cheaper eggs for an ego-centric master There it is in the rear view mirror
If you duck your part we'll lose a little faster If you duck down I could see a little clearer
All over this land! All over this world!