Money Music

Song Parodies

by Dan Sullivan

Overdue

To the tune of "Over There" by George M. Cohan. (Click here and then scroll down to "Over There" for Melody)

This parody was written just after Congress passed bankruptcy "reform" at the request of money-lending interests.

We set mortgage rates to inflate real estate.
Making prices fly way up high to the sky;
Prices rising every day. Buy that house now. Don't delay!

We make loans unsound, spreading debt all around.
Prices then rebound, crashing down to the ground.
So much money that you owe,
And there isn't any dough!

Overdue. You're overdue,
And foreclosure is coming to you.
Yes the banks are coming, the banks are coming,
We're taking everything from you.

So prepare. Say a prayer,
Soon you'll be sleeping out in the air.
We'll be over; we’re taking over,
And you'll work for us till
You're over overdue.

If you can't repay right away we will say,
Well, that's just to bad; we're impounding your pad.
We showed Congress, line by line,
How to keep you all in line.

Overdue. You're overdue,
And the bankers are coming for you.
Yes the banks are coming, the banks are coming,
And if you cannot pay you're screwed.

Step outside. You can't hide,
'Cause we now have the law on our side.
Your life is over. We’re taking over,
And you'll be our slaves till
You're over overdue.

Sixteen Grand

To the tune of "Sixteen Tons," by Merle Travis, popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford, (Music Video) (Melody)

This parody was written for the American Monetary Institute conference of 2005. Note that the federal debt owed to private bondholders (as opposed to debt owed by one branch of government to another) is now about $19,000 for every man woman and child in the country. [editor's note: It's much more than $19,000 today, thanks to all the bailouts.]

I was born an American in '63,
The land of milk and honey; land of the free,
Land of the free and the home of the brave,
But we all have to borrow so the rich can save.

I owe sixteen grand of federal debt,
And more to to the state, county, school board and yet
They call it a free country but I still serve,
I owe my soul to the Federal Reserve.

I got a 40 year mortgage hanging over my head.
The word "mortgage" is French; it means pay till you're dead.
Making ends meet is gettin' so damned hard,
But now they let me buy groceries with a credit card.

I owe seventeen grand of federal debt,
And more to to the state, county, school board and yet
They call it a free country but I still serve,
I owe my soul to the Federal Reserve.

Some say our politicians issue money to spend,
But if that's all they did then all our problems would end.
Instead our money's issued by private banks,
When they lend it out at interest, we're supposed to say "thanks."

I owe eighteen grand of federal debt,
And more to to the state, county, school board and yet
They call it a free country but I still serve,
I owe my soul to the Federal Reserve.

We can build more houses; we can make more stuff,
But whatever we do it won't be enough,
'Cause no one can buy it if no one has cash,
And the banks'll take it all when the system goes crash.

I owe nineteen grand of federal debt,
And more to to the state, county, school board and yet
They call it a free country but I still serve,
I owe my soul to the Federal Reserve.