A Few Words in Defense of Our Country

I'd like to say A few words In defense of our country Whose people aren't bad Nor are they mean Now, the leaders we have While they're the worst that we've had Are hardly the worst This poor world has seen Let's turn history's pages, shall we? Take the Caesars, for example Why, with the first few of them They were sleeping with their sister, stashing little boys in swimming pools, and burning down the city And one of 'em, one of 'em appointed his own horse to be Counsel of the Empire That's like vice president or something That's not a very good example right now, is it? But here's one: Spanish Inquisition That's a good one Put people in a terrible position I don't even like to think about it Well, sometimes I like to think about it Just a few words In defense of our country Whose time at the top Could be coming to an end Now, we don't want their love And respect at this point's pretty much out of the question But in times like these We sure could use a friend Hitler Stalin Men who need no introduction King Leopold of Belgium, that's right Everyone thinks he's so great Well, he owned the Congo He tore it up too Took the diamonds Took the silver Took the gold You know what he left 'em with? Malaria You know, a president once said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" Now it seems like we're supposed to be afraid It's patriotic, in fact Color-coded What we supposed to be afraid of? Why, of being afraid That's what terror means, doesn't it? That's what it used to mean You know, it pisses me off a little that this Supreme Court's gonna outlive me Couple young Italian fellas and a brother on the Court now too But I defy you, anywhere in the world, to find me two Italians as tight ass as the two Italians we got And as for the brother Well, Pluto's not a planet anymore either The end of an empire Is messy at best And this empire's ending Like all the rest Like the Spanish Armada Adrift on the sea We're adrift in the land of the brave And the home of the free Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye --- A Few Words in Defense of Our Country - Randy Newman