[932] Fast Food

Guest poem submitted by Amit Chakrabarti, <amitc@>, the
second in his guest theme (popular songs about urban problems):

Big mac, small mac, burger and fries
Shove 'em in boxes all the same size
Easy on the mustard, heavy on the sauce
Double for the fat boy, eats like a horse.
Fry them patties and send 'em right through
Microwave oven going to fry me too
Can't lose my job by getting in a rage
Got to get my hands on that minimum wage.

Shove it in their faces, give 'em what they want
Got to make it fast, it's a Fast Food Restaurant.

Shake's full of plastic, meat's full of worms
Everything's zapped so you won't get germs
Water down the ketchup, easier to pour on
Pictures on the register in case you're a moron.
Keep your uniform clean, don't talk back
Blood down your shirt going to get you the sack
Sugar, grease, fats and starches
Fine to dine at the golden arches.

Shove it in their faces, give 'em what they want
Got to make it fast, it's a Fast Food Restaurant.

Baby thrown up, booth number 9
Wash it down, hose it down, happens all the time
Cigarettes in the coffee, contact lens in the tea
I'd rather feed pigs than humanity.

Shove it in their faces, give 'em what they want
Got to make it fast, it's a Fast Food Restaurant.

      -- Richard Thompson

[Comments]

Little needs to be added by way of commentary to this wonderful piece of
vituperation. I only wonder why a certain extremely infamous and huge
company didn't go after Thompson, given such explicit lyrics as "Big Mac"
and "golden arches".

I find it fascinating that someone actually decided to dedicate a poem
(okay, a song) to this topic! That's originality.

-Amit.

[Notes]

For those who want to listen to the song, it's on the 1994 album "Mirror
Blue" about which I have raved earlier. But the ravings bear repeating. So
here goes: The album is a brilliant mix of wonderful Celtic acoustic
ballads, up-to-date rockers, biting social commentary and broken-hearted
love songs. If you're even vaguely interested in folk rock, buy this album.
Now.

Today's piece is set to full-blown Celtic folk accompaniment. The contrast
they make with the subject matter still gets me smiling, even after dozens
of listens.

[Links]

There's one other Richard Thompson song on Minstrels. It is also from
"Mirror Blue": Poem #299: "Taking My Business Elsewhere"

A brief bio of Thompson is included there.