a politician is an arse upon - (2007)

E. E. Cummings

for medium voice and piano

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This text remains under copyright and is therefore not fully reproduced herein.
 

a politician is an arse upon....

 

from 1 x 1 [One Times One] (1944)

 

[ 2 pages, circa 40" ]

 

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E. E. Cummings

 

This acerbic estimation of politicians is one I share in general. Like the lessons suggested by de Tocqueville so many years ago, today's modern Western politicians serve themselves by serving up other people's money to other people taken from other people, and call it charitable -- through such political words as "grants" and "support" and "services."

 

tessitura in the medium key

 

Accompanied by a series of hard major-minor seven chords, the words are spit out with a critical tone. The first syllable spits out "po," which is also slang in a number of Western European languages for "arse." This is to speak plainly about the current crop of "servants" who serve themselves more finely than they do those they serve, and furthermore at the public's expense. How many modern politicians have become wealthy through public service? The list is long indeed.

 

After two wholly chromatic arching phrases in the accompaniment, and final dissonant parody of what I also parody in words, "My country, 'tis of me," which sounds as these words are so clearly imagined resounding from the lips of politicians to their own ears.

 

 

 

This score will be published in in Fifty-Five Songs, YR1550, in the coming months available from Yelton Rhodes Music, Los Angeles, California