This is a work in progress, the latest in my ignominious attempts to rewrite popular songs to pertain to labor struggles at universities. Here, i've done something I've generally shyed away from recently, in attempting to rewrite a song i actually love, and not in a hipster "Journey Rulez" kind of way. I'm still trying to figure out the last line of the final verse. If you have suggestions, I would welcome and very much appreciate them. Anyway, without further adieu, i give you "Bastards of Young," GSOC style. Original lyrics and music by Paul Westerberg, as performed by The Replacements on the classic 1985 album Tim.
John, what a mess, tenure ladder no redress
And so on picket lines your name is sung
Dreams unfulfilled, graduates deskilled
And so we'll keep on walkin' and refuse to be forgotten
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
the labs and the sections
We won't teach no Hume or lecture on Khartoum
Our drums we'll sound, until we win this fight
health benefit reduction, voodoo economic suction
And so we'll keep on walkin' and refuse to be forgotten
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
the labs and the sections
John Beckman tries to frame us, NYU's Class War defames us
The ones who made this mess are the ones whom we protest
justice doesn't demand anything less
They walk down Wash. Square East and they call us a disease
But we'll win negotiation, whatever they try we'll beat 'em..
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
We are contingent teachers, GSOC on strike
the labs and the sections
Take it! It's Yours!
I would've requested "Little Mascara," but that'd be a lot harder to rewrite I think.
ReplyDelete"All you ever needed was collective bargaining"
ReplyDeleteI'll get to work on that. Have you heard the new Coup album?