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television. rerun. still on. still relevant. in case you missed it.

One Nation under God
has turned into
One Nation under the influence
of one drug

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

T.V., it satellite links
our United States of unconciousness
Apathetic therapeutic and extremely addictive
the methadone metronome pumping out
a 150 channels 24 hours a day
you can flip through all of them
and still there's nothing worth watching

T.V. is the reason why less than ten percent of our
Nation reads books daily
Why most people think Central America
means Kansas
Socialism means unamerican
and Apartheid is a new headache remedy

absorbed in it's world it's so hard to find us
It shapes our minds the most
maybe the mother of our Nation
should remind us
that we're sitting to close to. . .

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

T.V. is mechanized politic's
remote control over the masses
co-sponsered by environmentally safe gases
watch for the PBS special

It's the perpetuation of the two party system
where image takes precedence over wisdom
Where sound bite politics are served to
the fastfood culture

Where straight teeth in your mouth
are more important than the words
that come out of it
Race baiting is the way to get selected
Willie Horton or
Will he not get elected on . . .

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

T.V. is it the reflector or the director?
Does it imitate us or do we imitate it
Because a child watches 1500 murders before he's
twelve years old and we wonder how we've created
a Jason generation that learns to laugh
rather than abhor the horror

T.V. is the place where
armchair generals and quarterbacks can
experience first hand
the excitement of video warfare
as the theme song is sung in the background

Sugar sweet sitcoms
that leave us with a bad actor taste while
pop stars metamorphosize into soda pop stars
You saw the video
You heard the soundtrack
Well now go buy the soft drink
Well, the only cola that I support
would be a union C.O.L.A. (Cost of Living Allowance)
On Television.

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

Back again, "New and Improved",
we return to our irregularly programmed schedule
hidden cleverly between heavy breasted
beer and car commericals

CNN ESPN ABC TNT but mostly B.S.
Where oxymoronic language like
"virtually spotless" "fresh frozen"
"light yet filling" and "military intelligence"
have become standard

T.V. is the place where phrases are redefined
like "recession" to "necessary downturn"
"crude oil" on a beach to "mousse"
"Civilian death" to "collateral damages"
and being killed by your own Army
is now called "friendly fire"

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 imagination is sucked out of children
by a cathode ray nipple
T.V. is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple

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

Read more: http://artists.letssingit.com/disposable-heroes-of-hiphoprisy-lyrics-television-the-drug-of-the-nation-d1dw3jc#ixzz1uET7O9bO 
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Comments

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Rachel Bond

Wed 9th May 2012 13:53

theres something about putting lyrics on a poetry site that gives another perspective on them. like placing anything really i an art gallery. i worte an essay about it once, displacing objects and making them art. lyrics can be disposable, much like poetry but as placing words into a song gives them life taking them out and making them poetry allows for scrutiny. good word that scrutiny xx

will look up gil scot heron.

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Laura Taylor

Wed 9th May 2012 09:13

No, I know you weren't trying to take credit - that was obvious because you posted a link underneath and also a comment stating where and who it came from.

I just didn't understand why you put it up is all, so thanks for the note.

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Rachel Bond

Tue 8th May 2012 16:58

thank you chris. i have to point out that this is a song by the disposable heroes of hipoprisy: television drug of the neation. An early nineties rap/hip hop style number.

ive always thought the lyrics remarkable and as its been a while theres always a new audience of those never heard it, those never really read/heard it first time and i think anyone who appreciates political poetry would get something from a re read. Thanks chris for some interesting points of debate....

i wasnt trying to take credit for this song. i am merely passing it on in listing it here on a forum that is all about words.

laura: i post other peoples song lyrics all the time for similar reasons.

i was listening to this last night whilst trying to watch wife swap. i thought the couple in it might have liked it. she banned tv in the new house and i turned it off to post here instead :)

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Chris Co

Tue 8th May 2012 16:29

Ah a poem about the idiots lantern :)

Quite a few good lines Rach, particularly;

T.V is it the reflector or the director?

and

T.V is the only wet nurse
that would create a cripple

I can't say I agree with all the sentiments, as I think you attribute some things to T.V which just happen to be expressed there as well as other places.

e.g although straight teeth do seem to be more important than the words that come out; style over substance goes far beyond television even if it is very at home there. The same thing can be said in reference to oxymorons, in that they exist beyond the bounds of the medium of television. So I think television is reflecting here, rather than directing.

Still even here you are still capturing an aspect of our T.V culture.

I like the gusto of the poem throughout and you do hit some nails on the head in terms of issues within our culture. The references to the desensitisation of children and to the selling of cola are as cutting as they are arguably true.

A good write because you've got some great lines, hit some home truths and done so with passion.

Best

Chris

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Laura Taylor

Tue 8th May 2012 15:57

Why have you posted someone else's song?

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Rachel Bond

Tue 8th May 2012 13:54

its a song: disposable heroes of hiphoprisy: television the drug of the nation. you tube.

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zethembiso mkhize

Tue 8th May 2012 08:46

A good poem this is! I'm inspired.Television is indeed poisonous to the people, especialy the young.

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