Fred Smith has a particular interest in the USA, having worked there for a year in 2006-2007. Here is a recent song about the election of Joe Biden, written before the invasion of the Capitol.

The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down, in honour or dishonour, to the latest generation. Abraham Lincoln, December 1, 1862.

LONG RUN WILMINGTON JOE
(Fred Smith)

Wasn’t such a long time ago… November 2020
Three weeks before the snow fell upon the land of plenty
Couple thousand people a day were succumbing to infection,
Health workers tired and frayed, I was watching the election

The primaries were anyone’s show, Joe talked reconciliation
Clyburn had lived through Jim Crow, helped Joe win the nomination
The President still put on his shows in the midst of the pandemic
30,000 people would go, guess his crowd ain’t academics
TikTok and Twitter, the broken and the bitter listen in to orange man blow
Each to their own bubbles making up their troubles in their own reality show

Tuesday came around soon, boarded windows braced for violence
In the end it went pretty smooth, millions voted there in silence
Florida was quick to succumb then went Texas and Ohio
Lots of people start to feel numb, is the red mirage a lie though?
Michigan the first to turn blue, mail-in counting, Donald scolding
Minnesota, Wisconsin too, you could feel the blue wall holding

Nevada started tipping, Georgia started flipping for the first time since ’92
Even Arizona, Joe won Maricopa and the Goldwater state slid in blue
They just kept on counting in Allegheny County on a Pittsburgh factory floor
Out in Philadelphia things are looking healthier and they still kept counting some more
Officials looking weary, it's turning blue in Erie, even Fox News says it is so
Folks all went insane and, when Joe won Pennsylvania, the champagne started to flow

Long run Wilmington Joe, now you’re feeling presidential,
Plant the seeds and let ‘em all grow, feeling healing is essential

Instrumental break

Long run Wilmington Joe, coming in to Union Station
Riding on a sliver of hope, to the coming generation

There is a beaut video of the song on YT. Fred explained the genesis of the song:

In early November, I was confined to my room for two weeks COVID isolation when a colleague tested positive. I figured out how to make my television work and watched the US elections unfold. I was inspired to see election officials and ordinary citizens working to make the democratic process work in the face of background noise. Sound governance and due process are boring, but better than the alternative. Here is an offering for my friends in America…

He was yet to see 'the alternative' occur.

Youtube clip

--Stewie.