"You weren't playing with the Band!' she screamed

by Paul Nachbar

"You weren't playing with the Band!' she screamed

What they found good and true and normal and real
Which oddly enough bothered him utterly in his day
Was simply playing the same song a hundred other million people were playing
And shouting' How very unique! or 'that is US!" or 'hip hip hooray!'
If this was a song that a hundred million people could not follow
Or that two billion people would not easily understand
There seemed to be an almost unspoken agreement
That it would be punished or banished from the Land.

This they found great and fine and bold and terrific
Dreading the so called complex, decadent, discordant and obscure
Some Dynamic theme in a Major key endlessly repeated
Which stirred one's great ambitions to always endure
Some mighty tune of Country, Love and Empire
Some catchy song of God and Truth and Soul
Not too complex, one folks could always hum to
Where everyone could quickly learn their role.

He somehow felt no Great Ambition
His crime: "Not playing with the Band!"
He often listened to the Wasteland Music
Or things that were in many places banned
Oh why did people always act like armies?
Oh why were they so often at their wars?
And why their narrow range of feelings?
And why were they forever slamming doors?

What they found good and true and real and normal
He found benevolent dictatorship at best:
They pummelled strangers into Order
Or said "I just don't get it! Take a rest!"
Some lullabies for the New King's daughter
Or jolly dances for the President
Most other stuff some "chic ' disorder
Whether "Hell" or "Heaven" sent.

Ah how to put it all together?
The pieces here that really did not fit?
Majoriities emboldened, not quite 'honest'
And no one cared a single bit
Minorities half hidden in some Corner
This seemed the way it always was
Woe to the longterm bereaved mourner
Woe to the drifting detached social fuzz.

What they found good and true and real and normal
Each person called himself "the Judge"
The World itself a mighty boulder
One could not expect to ever budge
Best here to smile though all this Process
Although your mind or heart had turned to fudge
And Answer just how everyone had answered
Some Police are always there to give a nudge.

He found it odd there was not much merely 'human'
And what was there did not fill him with joy:
The Police preferred you when 'forgetful'
Some 'social facts' often annoy:
The Police said "certain stuff should be erased"
"We want your talent, musi,c art
But not if some of us end up disgraced
Or if your truths blow us apart":

He found it odd there was not much 'human'
And what was there was filled with pain:
The Criminals too had their Opinions
And also families to support
Who'd want to end up feeling too much?
When shooting folks or screwing with the court?
Perhaps best here to be 'respectful'
In one's Complete Human Report.

He did in fact see the whole picture
Had mastered every social game
No one all villain or all hero
And most both innocent also to blame
And all of it was very stupid
And all of it was very smart
And all of it was rather brutal
Though even brutal folks possess a heart

He did in fact see the whole picture
Hard to grasp both Trues and Lies
Sometimes the flipside of the same thing:
Myths slice most people down to size:
The World is good,the World is awful:
Some people play beyond the Band
Now, how to get THAT all together?
No, no one else could understand..