It's May 1st, and it's probably a good day to reveal a song I've been working on, to be an anthem of the Occupy Movement (for lack of a better term).  In the tradition of many political songs, it borrows a tune and fits sometimes cumbersome lyrics to it. In this case, the song is a song once considered a candidate for the National Anthem, Chester.

The original Chester goes like this, original lyrics by Wm. Billings, 1777:

1. Let tyrants shake their iron rod
And slav'ry clank her galling chains
We fear them not; we trust in God
New England's God forever reigns.

2. Howe and Burgoyne and Clinton, too,
With Prescott and Cornwallis joined,
Together plot our overthrow,
In one infernal league combined.

3. When God inspired us for the fight
Their ranks were broke; their lines were forced
Their ships were shattered in our sight
Or swiftly driven from our shore.

4. The foe comes on with haughty stride
Our troops advance with martial noise
Their veterans flee before our youth
And generals yield to beardless boys.

5. What grateful off'ring shall we bring,
What shall we render to the Lord?
Loud hallelujahs let us sing,
And praise his name on ev'ry chord!

It's a little too much "God , specifically New England's God, is on our side," but you can't beat the sauciness of verse 4!

It's easy to find Chester performed by various groups on the Internet, but I don't like the arrangements, and often it's ponderous and slow - Chester is a feisty, mocking song! My arrangement is more sprightly and has more color in the chords. I'll put up a recording some time, But I can post the chords which go more or less with the original melody. It's in F here, but that's just because I like F - put it where the crowd's voice is happiest, like "The People's Key: G! (or E, or Bb...)."

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Too Big To Fail
Lyrics: J. H. H. Lowengard
To the tune of "Chester" (William Billings)

Dec 2014, Apr 2015

F          Dm7       Bb      C7    F
Too big to fail, too rich to go to jail!
F6           Dm7               Bb          C7
Bad mortgage backed securities ended in default.
F   Bb         F             Dm7    
We bailed them out and their bonuses were paid.
Dm        Am        Bb  Bb6     Bb   C7      F    
Shielding their tax obligations in a foreign vault.

Too big to fail, too rich to go to jail!
Bad mortgage backed securities ended in default.
We bailed them out and their bonuses were paid.
Shielding their tax obligations in a foreign vault.

Fighting a war against an abstract foe,
Eavesdropping without warrants on every message sent
They alienate our unalienable rights
And our treasure trickles up to less than one percent.

Only the little people pay their tax!
Those blessed with lucre ke-ep their wealth in offshore banks.
They pit all others against themselves.
Our infrastructure fails, policemen now drive tanks.

They buy the laws to help secure their wealth,
Mayors and representatives grovel for their cash.
They own the news and they profit from unrest,
But expect protection from a stock market crash.

Even the courts are subject to their will
Now that there are no li-imits, they are free to spend
Buying elections like they are buying wine
Crip'ling governmental programs on which we depend.

Riots and wars, environmental waste,
They sow our amber waves with artificial seed
They put their profits before our need, and
Sacrifice the common good for their own reckless greed.

What can we do to fight this noisome plague?
Protests and signed petitions influence them not -
Let us proceed with a world wide general strike!
And reclaim the people's power that we have forgot!