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The New Rudy BluesCopyright ">Copyright © 2004 Ken Ficara
Ken Ficara: Vocal, guitar, harmonica
Produced by Ken Ficara
Recorded on Park Place
"The Rudy Blues" was originally written in 1999, the year of Amadou Diallo, when Giuliani's arrogance and casual cruelty were simply too much to take. (For memories of those days, before his divorce, the prostate cancer, and his temporary redemption after 9/11, see "The Rudy Moment," an occasional column I wrote for a newsletter by Bob Howe.)
Woke up this morning, Giuliani's on the news
You know by that I got them Rudy blues
Woke up this morning, heard him telling lies on the news
No matter what we do
We just can't seem to shake these Rudy blues
Some people say, the Rudy blues ain't bad
But we know he's the meanest mayor New York's ever had
People in the red states call the Rudy blues their favorite song
They're screwing New York City, and Rudy's playing right along
We've got no security, just corruption and incompetence
And if we dare to criticize, Rudy says we're helping terrorists
He sent Bernie down to Washington but Dubya sent him back
Was it the nanny or the mob ties or the Ground Zero love shack?
He sent Bernie down to Washington to keep the homeland secure
But Bush and Cheney said "No thanks,
"We've got all the sleaze we need down here."
Came home tonight, I saw the mayor on the news
You know Bloomberg gives me those same old Rudy blues
Came home tonight and there he was with Dubya on the news
When he licks those cowboy boots
I get the low-down dirty Bloomberg blues
| Homeland security | You'll get no funds |
| Public transit | Who cares if it runs |
| Rebuild ground zero | Do it yourself |
| Downtown air quality | Who cares about your health? |
This song is actually a pastiche of "The Walkin' Blues," a classic performed by both Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters.