TV Zappa

Trouble Every Day-Mothers Of Invention(1966)



"Well I'm about to get sick from watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friend is anybody's guess

So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin' hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin' every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day

Wednesday I watched the riot . . .seen the cops out on the street
Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff And chokin' in the heat
Listened to reports about the whisky passin' 'round
Seen the smoke and fire and the market burnin' down
Watched while everybody on his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash and slash and bust and burn

So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin' hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin' every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day

Well, you can cool it,you can heat it . . .
'cause, baby, I don't need it . . .
Take your TV tube and eat it
'n all that phony stuff on sports 'n all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box until my head begin to hurt
From checkin' out the way the newsman say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so

And further they assert that any show they'll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up-they will be the first to tell,
Because the boys they got downtown are workin' hard and doin' swell,
And if anybody gets the news before it hits the street,
They say that no one blabs it faster-their coverage can't be beat

And if another woman driver gets machine-gunned from her seat
They'll send some joker with a brownie and
you'll see it all complete

So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin' hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin' every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay that trouble comin' every day

Hey, you know something people?
I'm not black
But there's a whole lots a times
I wish I could say I'm not white

Well, I seen the fires burnin' and the local people turnin'
On the merchants and the shops who
used to sell their brooms and mops
And every other household item,
watched the mob just turn and bite 'em
And they say it served 'em right because a few of them are white,
And it's the same across the nation-black and white discrimination
Yellin' "You can't understand me!"
'n all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV and all that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
because the color of your skin
just don't appeal to him
(No matter if it's black or white)
Because he's out for blood tonight!!

You know we got to sit around at home and watch this thing begin
But I bet there won't be many live to see it really end
'Cause the fire in the street ain't like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don't you know that this could start on any street in any town
In any state if any clown decides that now's the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right and if a million more agree
There ain't no Great Society as it applies to you and me
Our country isn't free and the law refuses to see
If all that you can ever be is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store you know that five in every four
Just won't amount to nothin' more...

Gonna watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor

Blow your harmonica, son!"