Venezuelan Pie: music and bolivarian poetry

Sometimes one inspires readers. Maybe a little bit too much inspiration?

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An Interested Observer here: When I read a certain recent post, I couldn’t help but start thinking of this. This goes to the tune of "American Pie,” which can be heard here (with apologies to Don McLean, and a nod to Weird Al Yankovic), though the original song is somewhat longer than this – six verses! I wrote this version from the imaginary perspective of a long-time Chavez supporter who just can’t abide the RCTV shut-down.

Lula, perhaps?


A long, long time ago
I can still remember
How your speeches used to make me smile
And I knew if you had a chance
You could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for life
But May 28 made me shiver
With the bad news you delivered
No more RC on the TV
Just because you said it had to be
I have to wonder if you cried
Cause it seems they wounded your pride
And I realized down deep inside
That was the day the Robolution died

So bye, bye Bolivarian guy
I thought you were a democrat now I know it's a lie
And the Chavistas are drinking whisky all night
Not knowing it's the day their dreams died
It's the day their dreams died

I remember back in 98
Everybody thought you were great
Didn't we all tell you so?
Then you wrote the book in blue
And we put all our faith in you
To follow wherever you would go
Well, I know you were a coupster too
But I thought that you had paid your dues
And turned over a new leaf
Not taking power like a thief
And all those guys before you sucked
A blow for freedom I thought you’d struck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the Robolution died

I started singing
Bye, bye Bolivarian guy
I thought you were a democrat now I know it's a lie
And those Chavistas are drinking whisky all night
Not knowing it's the day their dreams died
It's the day their dreams died

Now for eight years we've been led by you
And it hasn’t been perfect, yes that’s true
But that’s the price of being empire-free
Like the endogenous economy
Seems to mean more of you and less of me
Well, if that's how it has to be
You promised a new future for our land
And we were eating out of your hand
We leftists finally got our turn
The IVth would never return
And you quoted Lenin and Marx
Though in their time they missed the mark
Now we’re singing dirges in the dark
On the day the Robolution died

Now we’re singing
Bye, bye Bolivarian guy
I thought you were a democrat now I know it's a lie
And those Chavistas are drinking whisky all night
Not knowing it's the day their dreams died
It's the day their dreams died

Now I probably should have got a clue
By those other things you used to do
But I wanted so bad to believe
You packed the Assembly and courts too
With folks who never would argue
And it seemed you’d never want to leave
And oil prices have been sky-high
And there’s still not enough food to buy
But I thought I’d still give you a chance
Because I liked your anti-Bush stance
But now though the country appealed
You say you’ll never, ever yield
Your autocratic ways were not concealed
The day the Robolution died

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OK, maybe hard to sing on occasion as the meter blows from the original, but still, the point comes across, no? Geeez, I tell you, these readers.....



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