DESCRIPTION:
This is my cover of the Dead Kennedys' song "California Über Alles" (1979 as single, 1980 on "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables"). Jello Biafra's (the singer) stance on the two mainstream parties is that both are as bad as the other. Certainly, during his presidency Jimmy Carter was involved in covert military actions that wound up killing a lot of people in East Timor, for example. Like me, he finds a lot of the New Left to be just as bad as the right wing in mainstream US politics. Even so, a lot of people to this day mistakenly believe that the Democrats are somehow more "gentle" with foreign policy than Republicans.

At the time that this song was written, Carter's (a Democrat) presidential term was ending and the Republicans were virtually ensured of a victory in the next election because many people were disenchanted with his economic policy (he was president during gas crises and recession) and his foreign policy (an Iranian revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeni deposed the American-friendly monarch the Shah or Iran and took several American hostage and held them for 444 days.) Jerry Brown was the governor of California, and he had his sights on the presidency -- and still does today. He may run in the 2016 election. But clearly Jello Biafra saw him as a New Left fascist (e.g., references to "hippies" and "Zen fascists" in the lyrics). Even so, after Reagan was elected in 1980, the Dead Kennedys made another version of the song called "We've Got and Even Bigger Problem Now" with a jazzier feel to it.

I played it on my Fender Violet Deliriums ESM Signature Model Blacktop HH Jaguar, which has Seymour Duncan SH-1 pickups (I have it in the middle position for this one), a killswitch, and some neat-o stickers on the pickguard. (ESM = Explosive Space Modulator.) I select the bridge humbucker and that goes through my Fender Supersonic 22W amp's "Burn" (high gain) channel (gain settings on 7 and 8). To record it, I played along with the mp3 with my computer speakers and amp huddled around a Samson CO1U microphone into my Mac's Photo Booth program, which reverses the image and I don't know how to fix it.

I am Governor Jerry Brown
My aura smiles and never frowns
Soon I will be president...

Carter Power will soon go away
I will be Fuhrer one day
I will command all of you
Your kids will meditate in school
Your kids will meditate in school!

California über alles
California über alles
Über alles California
Über alles California

Zen fascists will control you
One-hundred percent natural
You will jog for the master race
And always wear the happy face

Close your eyes, can't happen here
Big Bro' on white horse is near
The hippies won't come back you say
Mellow out or you will pay
Mellow out or you will pay!

California über alles
California über alles
Über alles California
Über alles California

Now it is 1984
Knock-knock at your front door
It's the suede denim secret police
They have come for your uncool niece

Come quietly to the camp
You'd look nice as a drawstring lamp
Don't you worry, it's only a shower
For your clothes here's a pretty flower.

Die on organic poison gas
Serpent's egg's already hatched
You will croak, you little clown
When you mess with President Brown
When you mess with President Brown

California über alles
California über alles
Über alles California
Über alles California