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The Talkin' Red Light Blues

from Rahm Songs by Andrew Francis

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about

So, I caught a report on the news the other day about Rahm Emanuel speeding around Chicago and getting traffic tickets. And, at first, I kind of laughed to myself. HA HA HA Mayor Rahm screwing up again! But then I was like, “Hey, wait a minute, wasn’t this an issue back in 2009? Didn’t I write a song about something like this?”

Yeah. I did. Here it is: www.musicvomit.net/2010/08/11/talkin-cta-bus-blues/

Now, Rahm was not Mayor of Chicago back then, so CTA buses speeding through red lights and getting tickets from red light cameras installed by His Holiness Mayor Daley really can’t be blamed on him.

Oh, wait. Oops. The buses are still running red lights at an alarming pace.

So, nothing has changed, except that Mister Mayor himself got caught by the cameras this time. And not just the red light cameras, but also the speed-trap cameras that he had installed. HILARIOUS.

"No one is above the law." (Unless no one notices.)

Mayor Emanuel wants the city to be SAFER, so he installed cameras to make us all drive slower. But he’s got a city to run, okay? Get out of his way.

So you see, I had to do a rewrite of the Talkin’ CTA Bus Blues. HAD TO.

lyrics

Now let me tell you people, I don't mean to complain,
But the CTA is at it again.
I just read, the other day,
That none of the bus drivers like to obey
Any red lights, that just might, be getting in their way.

You may say, "That ain't so bad."
But I'll tell you something that'll make you feel so sad.
You'll never guess who pays the tickets
That all the bus drivers get.
It's you and it's me. It's everybody, but them.

Well, I wouldn't take such an issue
With paying the traffic tickets due,
But something about it seems so funny
And since they're using my money,
I'd like to know, if the buses are running all the red lights,
Then why are they still so goddamn slow?

Now, I'm sure our Mayor, who says, "Safety First!"
Will put a stop to this getting worse.
It's not like he's ever been caught
Speeding through lights, breaking the law.
So if you ever see his car go whizzing by,
Please keep in mind he's a very busy guy.

So, I've sung you my song and it ain't very long,
It may be right and it may be wrong.
It wasn't meant to make you mad,
Just to point out that we're all being had.
And it's gonna last until everybody starts to ask,
"Why do I gotta put up with that?"

credits

from Rahm Songs, track released May 16, 2014

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Andrew Francis Chicago, Illinois

Andrew Francis is a song-writing folk singer living and performing in the city of Chicago, located in the Midwestern United States.

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