Van Dyke Parks

By the people

Van Dyke Parks


Strike up the band brother 
hand me another bowl of your soul. 
Brother has a long way to go 
maybe baby should know 
his cotton mouth is too slow 
for the song of the forgotten South, 
just don't hang us up here. 

Step by step by 
please though proletarian am I. 
By chance am you 
"wine git out de way o'de darkies. 
You'd better hustle up a storm 
to sing this Caucasian lullaby. 
Sleep oh my darling now sleep. 
Draw freehand over Iron Curtain. 
Stalk up on the trim bamboo. 
To footridge the bullrushes 
certain to know law, 
American express. 

No Caucasian flair 
for flim-flam will do. 
Step by please step by. 
Weigh the small advance. 
There is still a chance. 

Let's assume that we form a company men. 
No mention should the pass in revue of the show. 
Just understand that I prefer to be dead than red white 
or blue as I write sturdy crew. 
As you view these few Russians 
whose true dawn came to view long ago. 
So I think that you'd better strike up the band brother 
hand me another bowl of your soul. 
The song of the forgotten South 
just don't hang us up here. 
Here the unknown is at hand 
and not far from my heel 
a tarbaby feel for the Czar. 
For those who are lonely well 
the Black sea is callin' 
Georgia's Stalin has fallen 
so you all come here. 
We now are near to the end. 
If you stay with the show say 
we all had to go to hasten to jar 
the few nations too far gone to step by.