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Barenaked Cockburn

from Debasement Tapes by Tom Smith

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I realized one day that "If I Had A Million Dollars" scanned to "If I Had A Rocket Launcher". That's pretty much it, except that Bruce's last name is pronounced "Coh-burn". But the possibilities if the title of the song is pronounced the other way are pretty wild, eh?

lyrics

Part 1:

Sittin on the front porch, in the warm summer sun,
Keeping very still, 'cause I want to have some fun,
Waiting for my victim, five, four, three, two, one --
If I had a rocking lawn chair,
If I had a rocking lawn chair,
If I had a rocking lawn chair,
Some kitty's tail is done.

We've gone to the convention, the convention's gone to Hell,
We're getting lots of grief from, the staff of this hotel,
We need a Lilliputian, who knows just what to yell --
If I had a pocket con-chair,
If I had a pocket con-chair,
If I had a pocket con-chair,
This con would be just swell.

Part 2:
("Grade 9" section)

At the Rio Lacuntun, a hundred thousand wait,
Dying of starvation, or some less humane fate,
Cry for Guatemala with a corpse at every gate,
If I had a rocket launcher, I'd retaliate,
If I had a rocket launcher, I'd retaliate,
If I had a rocket launcher, I wouldn't hesitate.

("If I Had A Million Dollars" section)

Here comes the helicopter (Here comes the helicopter),
Second time today (It's still tryin' to find a good place to park),
Everybody scatters (Everybody scatters),
And hope it goes away (Y'ever try cleaning up copter poop?),
How many kids they've murdered (That weren't watching Teletubbies),
Only God can say (He'll be on Jerry Springer next week),
If I had a rocket launcher,
I'd make someone pay....

If I had a rocket launcher (Not Van Halen's rockin' long-hair),
If I had a rocket launcher (Not Pete Sampras's racket lunge here),
If I had a rocket lau-au-u-aun-cher, I-I-I'd kill....
Some son of a bitch.

credits

from Debasement Tapes, released May 25, 1999
Music: Part 1: "If I Had A Rocket Launcher" by Bruce Cockburn
Part 2: "Grade 9" and "If I Had A Million Dollars, Live Version" by Steven Page and Ed Robertson
Additional Vocals: Anne Schneider and Karen Foran Underwood

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Tom Smith Ann Arbor

Weird Al with more books, JoCo with more jokes, Carlin with more Cthulhu. Since 1985, Tom Smith has been breaking hearts, minds, and laws of propriety and physics with his insane blend of sf/fantasy, Life With Computers, pop culture, politics, and puns. More than twenty albums later, he maintains the best is yet to come. ... more

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