This song uses the traditional form of talking blues.


TALKIN' POLITICIAN
As recorded by Si Kahn on "New Wood" (1974)

Just as long as I can remember,
Every four years about November,
Folks who wouldn't talk to me on the street
Are comin' in my house an' wipin' their feet,
Kissin' my wife,
Kissin' my babies.
Well, I guess they'd even kissed my ol' mule if she hadn't 'a' voted for Roosevelt.

Now, they shake my hand an' they smile an' say:
"I'd like to have your vote come election day.
Now, you don't need to know where I stand.
Just vote for me as many times as you can.
That'll be ten dollars now
An' ten dollars more
Just ev'ry time that you vote.

"Now, I promise you that if I'm elected,
I'll raise the dead an' have 'em resurrected.
I'll fix your road, put a bridge on your creek,
An' sweep out your cow barn myself twice a week."
Now there just might be somethin' to that,
'Cause I ain't never seen
Nobody else that can shovel that stuff as fast as a politician.

The election's come an' the road's still muddy.
If you try to find your ol' good buddy,
He's up at the courthouse grindin' his axes.
Only thing won't get cut is your taxes.
I been sliced this way
So many times
I'm startin' to look like a tomater.

The hand you shook behind the plow,
That hand is in your pocket now.
You look for your … an' find it missin',
Better start huntin that politician;
But there's one good thing:
Weren't for politicians,
The rest of us folks wouldn't have nothin' else to laugh at except Nixon.