Weasels And Snakes
(Jody Stecher)
Chris Brashear and Jody Stecher
I produced Chris Brashear’s first solo CD “Wanderlust”, which featured many of his original songs and tunes, and that led to the forming of the band Perfect Strangers. So when Chris, whose songs I admired so much, approached me with the kernel of a song I was all attention. He had one verse and chorus and he knew there was a good song wanting to blossom from this seed. But he thought that maybe it needed a different kind of water so Chris got in touch. At his invitation I suggested some changes and wrote some new lyrics which he changed some and then I changed his changes. We began to edit each other’s edits and we batted the song back and forth like a ping pong ball until all the rough edges were as round as the ball.
I am so proud to have been part of the creation of this song. I noticed right away when I started singing it in public that people of all political opinions responded to it positively. That’s pretty rare, as political songs can polarize an audience. I also noticed that audiences outside of the United States were puzzled by some of the words, so for them I’ll mention here that the donkey is the symbol of the Democratic Party, that the elephant symbolizes the Republican party, and that it is the opinion of many Americans, that both parties have been far too influenced by the wishes of financial contributors to their political campaigns. The rest of the song is specific to my country but every country is having economic problems these days and every country has its weasels and snakes.
Weasels and Snakes
© Chris Brashear and Jody Stecher, Vegetiboy Music (BMI)
They weasel and snake, slip away with their crime
They never get tried, they never serve time
They still get the money, it’s a very deep well
They enjoy what they’re doing, everybody can tell
The banks are so big, they are too big to fail
And they lined their own pockets with the government bail
They can’t get much richer but I know they will try
To own everything in this world by and by
What can there be done for my sister and brother?
Money runs one way and just not the other
They’re losing their homes, pay is whittled away
It’s hard times in the country today
The elephant trumpets “Everything has to go,
The twentieth century’s such a long time ago.”
The laws of protection were hard fought to win
Now the donkey just brays with his tail to the wind
When you see an elephant wriggle and crawl
It’s a sign that a weasel’s got him on his payroll
Whenever a donkey he slithers and creeps
It’s a natural reflection of the company he keeps.
What can there be done for my sister and brother?
Money runs one way and just not the other
They’re losing their homes, pay is whittled away
It’s hard times in the country today
Show me the politician with the gumption to stand
For the rights of the working poor woman and man
And where is the leader who’s got what it takes
With the backbone to stand up to weasels and snakes
What can there be done for my sister and brother?
Money runs one way and just not the other
They’re losing their homes, hope is whittled away
It’s hard times in the country today
What can there be done for my sister and brother?
Money runs one way and just not the other
They’re losing their homes, pay is whittled away
It’s hard times in the country today
It’s hard times in the country today
Jody Stecher: vocal and guitar
Kate Brislin: vocal
Keith Little: baritone vocal and banjo
Chad Manning: fiddle
Paul Knight: bass