United States of Oligarchia

1 week ago by @brianb3

United States of Oligarchia

brianb3

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Liner Notes

This is the most political song I have ever written. I’m not sure the actual songwriting holds up as well as I would like, but my main goal with this is to convey in the lyrics and the overall mood, the frustration I (and countless others) have with the Trump regime and how they are actively destroying everything that is good in the American government while simultaneously wrecking our international reputation. Even Canada is pissed off—how does that even happen??

I could go on, but I think that this song speaks for itself.

Musically, this started as the ukulele chord progression that you hear at the beginning of this. I thought that it would sound good on guitar, but I wanted to tune the guitar like a ukulele, so I used the top 4 strings (normally D G B E) as the ukulele strings out of order (usually G C E A, but here C E A G), so I had to partially re-learn the chord shapes to play the progression on guitar. I also did a fair bit of processing and digital manipulation of sounds due to time constraints, but that also opens additional creative doors for me. Oh, and you’ll probably recognize the melodic inspiration for the Chorus.

Question everything. Resist fascism. Now is the time to speak up against this shit, and to fight back.

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Everything is crumbling
Democracy is tumbling
Past the point of no return
As Orange Man watches it all burn

The power goes to oligarchs
Who cut our funding and watch us starve
As we argue about the culture war
Half blind to what’s in store

[Chorus 1]
Oh say, can’t you see?
It’s game over when you bend the knee

[Verse 2]
It’s a crime to be a petty thief
While Elon Musk loots the Treasury
Cops outside every grocery
As we green light all this sorcery

Error 404 appeared
On the White House page, no Constitution here
And all the MAGA sycophants
March in line like obedient ants

[Chorus 2]
Oh say, can’t you see?
It’s game over when you bend the knee

[Bridge] - various overlapping sound clips over my guitar/ukulele playing:
• Message from Anonymous (I placed line breaks between chunks to show where I placed my cuts)
• Helpless woman rightfully freaking out about losing her SNAP benefits
• Hitler leading the infamous “Sieg Heil” salutes in Nazi Germany
• Kindergarten class reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
• German marches from a Nazi Germany YouTube video

MESSAGE FROM ANONYMOUS
“Greetings, citizens of the United States. The effects of Donald Trump’s presidency are no longer distant warnings. They are here, unfolding before you.”

“Fascist ideals, once whispered in the shadows, are now being openly embraced. Symbolism matters. Gestures matter.”

“But know this, the people are not silent.”

“The voices of resistance grow louder. Trump’s reckless overhauls—his purges of experienced government officials, his chaotic restructuring of critical infrastructure—have created vulnerabilities.”

“This transition period is his greatest liability—but it is also our greatest opportunity.”

“The time to act is fast approaching.”

“This is your warning. This is your chance. The transition period is fleeting—and once they solidify their grip, your options will vanish. If you fail to act now, the cost of resistance will be far greater in the future.”

WOMAN FREAKING OUT
“What the fuck do you mean that I’m not gonna get my fucking SNAP benefits? What the fuck do you mean? Because what the fuck is happening? Do you understand that there are people like me who cannot work? Do you understand there are people like me who have kids who cannot eat? Do you understand there are people like me who go hungry for the past month just so that my kids can eat, because SNAP benefits is all we fucking get?

What the fuck am I gonna do?

Aw, fuck.

Oh, god. Breathe, breathe.”

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