FAWM: "All Hail the Leader"

All Hail the Leader

2025 by @berni1954

Liner Notes

A late entry for the "Tense Moment" skirmish. There can be no more tense moment than that my narrator experiences in the last verse.

The whole is a dystopian nightmare that those who ignore warnings about fascism will likely have to live through.

Instrument: Kala FMTE-C (Low G)

PS I know the difference between "The Capitol" and "The Capital" the latter makes the song more universal and the pronunciation makes it more specific 😉

#fuc #ukulele #dystopia #political

Lyrics

(D) The ones who voted in the (G) Leader Were (Bm) cheering in the (A) streets The (D) opposition were (G) gutted At the (Bm) size of (A) their de(D)feat But (Em) once the procla(D)mations Be(Em)came a sheer cas(D)cade The en(Bm)thusiasm (D) of his fans (A) Soon began to (D) fade (And I heard one guy say:...)

"I (G) wore all the merchandise I (D) sang the campaign songs I (A) marched on the Capital At the (D) head of the throng I (G) didn't think the cuts Would (D) ever affect me I just (A) wanted our country To (G) finally be (D) free"

(D) Now the Leader has taken full pos(G)session (Bm) The power that he wields is off the (A) scale The (D) slightest hint of criti(G)cism Can (Bm) get you (A) years in (D) jail They (Em) monitor your every (D) word On your (Em) phone with the help of A. (D) I. I was (Bm) on my way out (D) to the camps When (A) I heard that same (D) guy

(G) "I voted for him man So (D) why the plastic cuffs? I'm (A) no snowflake leftie Is my (D) hat not proof enough!" But he (G) must have said something That (D) proved his tongue was loose For he's (A) here with me now In this (G) box car ca(D)boose

(D) Now we're being herded into the (G) camp There's a (Bm) machine gun on each watch(A)tower There's a (D) rumour that we're being (G) led To those (Bm) barracks to (A) take a (D) shower "There (Em) must be some mis(D)take!" I (Em) heard him say to some (D) lass As they (Bm) locked us into the (D) washroom And the (A) chamber began to fill with (D) gas I was (A) laughing as I breathed my (G) last (D)

Comments

@sheilerk 2025

Im back to listen again. It makes me sad, but it also lifts me up to know that the way I feel is echoed by good people across the world. Time will tell if any of it helps, but right now this helps me💕

@mikeskliar 2025

Excellent protest song- scary and timely!

@janeg 2025

Did you have to be so damn accurate about where the world is heading? The playbook of the early 30’s is starkly obvious except to those who vote for deranged autocrats.

@williamjames 2025

This really hits different with current events. Very scary. You have really captured the essence of old time prostest songs in this. I listened with nervous jitters and sinister thoughts. The song is really good!

@sheilerk 2025

No hyperbole here, unfortunately. What he's doing with Guantanamo already gives a pretty clear indication of where this is going. And of course that's only one signpost. Scary stuff, and you make your point palatable with your great vocals and strumming, irony and accents, and upbeat tune.

@chipwithrow 2025

Good to hear you again! A necessary but scary song. Scarier still because you sing and play it in such a lovely way. I always like your voice and strumming.

@mariekevink 2025

Oh wow. I really really like this. I suppose he doesn't have more power than any other president but seems to use the powers that he has to an unprecedented extent, to them expand his powers with. As a non-American, I don't understand executive orders.

Anyway, I think this is an excellent song. Build up in the tension is great and just right. Sleepwalking to disaster.

@coolparadisoMod 2025

Stark warning how evil breeds! Very well done!

@cmharwood89 2025

An excellent, starkly prescient tune. It sounds jaunty and lighthearted, but anything but a superficial listen makes it clear you're painting a quite conceivable picture of where we may be headed if power goes unchecked by the systems designed to check it. The first two verses are firmly rooted in today. I only hope the following verses prove to be artistic musings.

Unlike @daveyboy103 , apparently, I don't see any humor in the extrapolation from today's (dubiously) legal wielding of executive power and tomorrow's bald-faced totalitarianism. 'Cos we know that it's never resulted in gas chambers in the past or anything...

@daveyboy103 2025

Has the vestment clause of Article II of the constitution changed recently? Don't all Presidents have all executive power vested in them BY the constitution?

Gas chambers? So glad you resisted the temptation to be hyperbolic. 😄