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Welcome to Stupid Town

from American Lullaby by Dean Friedman

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    'American Lullaby' CD [plus 20-page Lyric/Credit Booklet]

    ‘American Lullaby’ reflects my personal view of all the crazy, insane stuff that’s been happening, in America – and around the world - for the last six years.

    Like all lullabies, it’s filled with tales of dark deeds and disaster, but couched in soft, gentle tones, meant to soothe and comfort the listener, while gently bracing them for the potential terrors that await.

    The songs express my admittedly biased perspective as a marginally middle-class American, who’s just as confused, dumbfounded and befuddled by - and incredulous at - recent events, as everyone else.

    A few notes about the title track… Despite the very real, if incremental, progress we continue to make, it would be impossible to reflect on America’s current state of turmoil and disarray without acknowledging some of its origins, including our original sins - indigenous genocide and slavery – along with our uniquely enduring addiction to guns.

    ‘Half Moon’ is the name of a Dutch sailing ship, captained by Hendrick Hudson which, on a September morning in 1609, seeking the legendary Northwest Passage, sailed into the mouth of what’s now called the Hudson River; originally called Mahicantuck – the river that flows two ways - by the indigenous Lenape inhabitants.

    The ‘Drinking Gourd’ refers to the ‘Big Dipper’ constellation, a celestial signpost relied on by escaped slaves as a directional guide on their perilous journey north to freedom.

    ‘Peg Leg Joe’ is a semi-mythical figure said to provide assistance along the way. Paradise is the name of an area adjacent to Las Vegas, site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

    We didn’t get here overnight.

    The album, ‘American Lullaby’, touches on a broad range of topics, including: the calamitous pandemic, looming environmental disaster, racism, sexism, and an intractable culture war… all exacerbated by our inane and disastrous politics.

    All these things really happened – and continue to happen: Every word of ‘The Russians are Coming’ is true - confirmed by the 5-volume, bi-partisan ‘Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures, Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election’. A predictable pandemic caused the unnecessary deaths of millions and brought the world to a grinding halt. Clean water is growing scarce, and America’s west coast is burning, the air unbreathable – ‘sorry ‘bout that’. ‘Ridin’ with Biden’ is not just a catchy campaign song – it’s a reminder that we just dodged a bullet, and that the tag team of tyranny and despotism are relentless, with democracy still in its sights.

    But, hey! I promise – the album is not all gloom and doom; it’s filled with optimism and faith – not in any god, but in our humanity. I’m insistent on hope, laughter and joy. Our shared emotional trauma is palpable and requires tending to, so some serous silliness is called for. (Hopefully, the full-time residents of ‘Stupid Town’ can take a joke. As for ‘Just Another Birthday Song’, you can’t deny that, after 125 years, the Hill sisters have had a good run.) And for those of us lucky enough to have survived the recent cataclysms, it seems to me it’s incumbent upon us, to not just work to heal our wounded world but, to seize every chance we get to celebrate wonder… and propagate joy.
    ……………………………………………………

    Includes unlimited streaming of American Lullaby via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 4 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $22 USD or more 

     

  • USB Flash Drive

    'American Lullaby' - USB card [credit card size USB drive contains both .wav and mp3 versions of the album plus .pdf of 20-page Lyric-Booklet

    ‘American Lullaby’ reflects my personal view of all the crazy, insane stuff that’s been happening, in America – and around the world - for the last six years.

    Like all lullabies, it’s filled with tales of dark deeds and disaster, but couched in soft, gentle tones, meant to soothe and comfort the listener, while gently bracing them for the potential terrors that await.

    The songs express my admittedly biased perspective as a marginally middle-class American, who’s just as confused, dumbfounded and befuddled by - and incredulous at - recent events, as everyone else.

    A few notes about the title track… Despite the very real, if incremental, progress we continue to make, it would be impossible to reflect on America’s current state of turmoil and disarray without acknowledging some of its origins, including our original sins - indigenous genocide and slavery – along with our uniquely enduring addiction to guns.

    ‘Half Moon’ is the name of a Dutch sailing ship, captained by Hendrick Hudson which, on a September morning in 1609, seeking the legendary Northwest Passage, sailed into the mouth of what’s now called the Hudson River; originally called Mahicantuck – the river that flows two ways - by the indigenous Lenape inhabitants.

    The ‘Drinking Gourd’ refers to the ‘Big Dipper’ constellation, a celestial signpost relied on by escaped slaves as a directional guide on their perilous journey north to freedom.

    ‘Peg Leg Joe’ is a semi-mythical figure said to provide assistance along the way. Paradise is the name of an area adjacent to Las Vegas, site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

    We didn’t get here overnight.

    The album, ‘American Lullaby’, touches on a broad range of topics, including: the calamitous pandemic, looming environmental disaster, racism, sexism, and an intractable culture war… all exacerbated by our inane and disastrous politics.

    All these things really happened – and continue to happen: Every word of ‘The Russians are Coming’ is true - confirmed by the 5-volume, bi-partisan ‘Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures, Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election’. A predictable pandemic caused the unnecessary deaths of millions and brought the world to a grinding halt. Clean water is growing scarce, and America’s west coast is burning, the air unbreathable – ‘sorry ‘bout that’. ‘Ridin’ with Biden’ is not just a catchy campaign song – it’s a reminder that we just dodged a bullet, and that the tag team of tyranny and despotism are relentless, with democracy still in its sights.

    But, hey! I promise – the album is not all gloom and doom; it’s filled with optimism and faith – not in any god, but in our humanity. I’m insistent on hope, laughter and joy. Our shared emotional trauma is palpable and requires tending to, so some serous silliness is called for. (Hopefully, the full-time residents of ‘Stupid Town’ can take a joke. As for ‘Just Another Birthday Song’, you can’t deny that, after 125 years, the Hill sisters have had a good run.) And for those of us lucky enough to have survived the recent cataclysms, it seems to me it’s incumbent upon us, to not just work to heal our wounded world but, to seize every chance we get to celebrate wonder… and propagate joy.
    ……………………………………………………
    ... more
    ships out within 4 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $22 USD or more 

     

lyrics

Welcome to Stupid Town
by Dean Friedman
We welcome you to Stupid Town.
We hope you’ll have a look around.
Please permit me to expound on my dear old Stupid Town

Welcome to Stupid Town,
Where everything is upside-down.
Our sheriff’s bent, the mayor’s a clown.
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, we built a wall.
We built it 45 feet tall,
To keep out the folks from Smarty Town.
Of course, they just went and tunneled underground!

Welcome to Stupid Town!
Our Main Street is a bit rundown.
We ran our banks into the ground,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, the Mayor decreed,
Kids no longer had to read.
“Just watch TV and you’ll succeed. Look at me!’ he said.
Even the librarian agreed!

Welcome to Stupid Town,
Where facts will only make you frown.
Our willful ignorance is profound,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, we dug a well.
It served the residents very well.
Though after the spill, it had a funny smell.
Except for that, you could hardly tell!

Welcome to Stupid Town!
The sky is green, the water’s brown.
Both far and wide, we are renowned,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, if you catch the flu,
We throw a great big barbecue.
Then you walk around and go, “Ah-choo!”
And everyone will say, “God Bless You!”

Welcome to Stupid Town,
Where ‘healthcare’ is a dirty noun.
Our hospitals were all shut down,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, we passed a law.
You should have heard the bruhaha.
It might have had one tiny flaw -
We made it illegal for ice-caps to thaw!

Welcome to Stupid Town,
Where rivers flood and people drown,
And Wildfires burnt the houses down,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, we all prefer
To live our lives the way things were.
People say, “Yes ma’m and sir.”
Not them and they - just him and her!

Welcome to Stupid Town,
A place where manly men abound.
We tell our women to calm down,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, we have no trace
Of prejudice towards any race.
Plus, we hardly ever see them face-to-face.
And when we do, we just give chase!

Welcome to Stupid Town
We are the friendliest folks around.
We’re real big fans of ‘Stand Your Ground’,
Here in Stupid Town!

In Stupid Town, the government’s run
To protect the rights of everyone.
We value our freedoms and our fun.
That’s why every child gets their very own handgun!

Welcome to Stupid Town!
The children, here, are safe and sound.
They open-carry on the school playground,
Here in Stupid Town!

We’re glad you stopped in Stupid Town.
We’re sorry you can’t stick around.
We hope you’ll come again, someday,
To the Stupidest town in the U.S.A.!

Welcome to Stupid Town,
Where everything is upside-down.
Our sheriff’s bent, the mayor’s a clown.
Here in Stupid Town!

credits

from American Lullaby, released August 27, 2021

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Dean Friedman Peekskill, New York

Dean Friedman entered pop consciousness with his Top 20 hit, Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, pot-smoking, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse. Since then, hits like Lucky Stars, Lydia, Rocking Chair, McDonald’s Girl and Woman of Mine have earned him a loyal international following, devoted to his work as a master songsmith and performer. ... more

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