for six singers, a cappella [2005]
a theatre piece by
doublethink was premiered by The Song Company, who commissioned it,
this is the life worth living
this is the gift worth giving
this life is worth preserving
no.1 storm-trooper:
all:
we spread disinformation
go right, right
liberal:
no.1 storm-trooper:
no.2 storm-trooper:
liberal:
no.1 storm-trooper nods to no.2, who goes into the audience, grabs the liberal, and drags him, protesting, onto stage
no.1 storm-trooper and others:
liberal:
no.2 storm-trooper throws a bucket of water over the liberal, silencing him
no.1 storm-trooper:
no.2 storm-trooper:
all except liberal:
no.2 storm-trooper:
you've died
closed down by government decree
watch out for doublespeak:
"collateral damage":
there's gobbledy-gook, mumbo-jumbo
"you have been negatively impacted
"yours was a negative patient outcome"
Only eu - phemisms gleam and glow
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
The Gospel According to St Matthew, chapter 5, verse 9:
is this life worth living?
forever free we'll ever be
our laws, our cause
© Peter Wesley-Smith 2005
[e-mail]
Peter Wesley-Smith (text) and Martin Wesley-Smith (music)
in Kangaroo Valley Hall, June 11 2005, and in The Studio, Sydney Opera House, June 15 2005
scheduled performances by The Song Company in 2008 (bookings: call 02 8272 9500):
Campelltown Arts Centre
7:30pm
13 September
Canberra National Library
7:30pm
19 September
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
7:30pm
24 September
Newcastle Conservatorium
7:30pm
25 September
Bundanoon
7:30pm
27 September
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
3pm
28 September
Mayfield Winery, Orange
5pm
19 October
text (by Peter Wesley-Smith)
contents:
this is the life worth living | quick march! | trust | propaganda | all hail to thee, big brotherland | prayer
this is the life worth living
a lone latte-sipping liberal, sitting in the audience, sings:
the only life I know
the examined life, an attentive life
the only way to go
an educated mind
a gentle soul imbued with love
and reason intertwined
quick march!
a heart that welcomes beauty
a humour that delights
acknowledgement of duty
and every person's rights
this life that all should know
a modest life, a tolerant life
an ordinary life, a special life
compassion and love unswerving
the only way to go
we ask for truth
you counsel belief
we offer loyalty
but you demand obedience
give us love, not fear
we try to reason
you call it treason
five storm-troopers march in:
attenshun! company, quick march!
onward march our soldiers [1]
marching off to war
with our fear and propaganda
brutal shock and awe
demonise our foe
truth defy, cheat and lie
let the falsehoods flow
fear and propaganda
answering the call
with our DU [2] and napalm
nerve gas, cluster bombs
and all
amen, amen
amen
go smite the loony left (etc)
let's make war on war
not peace
or international co-operation
nor on the UN
or on international law
or maybe we could try
diplomacy, humanity, honesty, and virtues such as these ...
let's give all our support
to our troops and peace initiatives
as we march to another war
a war against that dic - tator:
international law
let's fight the fight
with shock and awe
trust
chief storm-trooper speaks:
Ladies and gentlemen, this election is all about trust - in ME! Trust me on interest rates ... the safety net ... troops to Iraq ... and on all core promises! [3]
You lie, sir!
Well at least I lie openly and sincerely - honestly! You can trust my mendacity - my knowledge-management skills and our spin doctors are the best in the land!
Come join us, friend. We can't afford dissent at a time like this: the nation yearns for unity, freedom and peace - let us march together under the same banner!
You are traitors and war criminals!
Onward the march of freedom! Democracy prevails! Support our troops - and our strategic information operations, psy war, image control, perception management, and our tactical selective meretriciousness!
You subvert democracy!
Friend, when we act, we create our own reality. [4]
And while you're studying that reality we'll act again, creating other new realities.
We're history's actors!
And you, all of you, will be left to just study ...
propaganda
propaganda
propaganda
a picture is worth a thousand lies
use weasel words and euphemisms [5] e.g.:
you've been fired
Mister Murdoch will choose the news for youse [7]
poor old ABC
that was the news [8]
"active defence":
"energetic disassembly":
nonsense, utter balderdash:
no.1 storm-trooper:
... what we do
just study what we do
with propaganda
the image is the thing
a picture can reach a billion eyes
create your own reality
with propaganda and slander
tell lies, make propaganda
by an involuntary career event": [6]
only me - dia can deem it so
he's balanced and fair, non-doctrinaire
that was the news
killing innocent civilians
invasion
nucular explosion
"When we kill them it's for their own good"
"We had to destroy the village in order to save it"
propaganda
keep it simple, say it often
fabricate, exaggerate, manipulate, indoctrinate
disinformation
repetition
intimidate, misinformation
selective quotation, false insinuations
your government knows what's best for you
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5:
"No one shall be subjected to torture"
Article 14:
"Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other
countries asylum from persecution"
Article 20:
"Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law"
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth"
(while the band plays "Waltzing Matilda")
no rights can exist for a terrorist
(Gitmo, Bagram, Abu Ghraib)
no visas, so hey, let's lock them away!
(free to still call Baxter home)
no preaching for war? then what is it for?
no value, no merit, who would wish to inherit?
(freaky, geeky, sneaky, weak)
all hail to thee Big Brotherland
You give us tyranny and call it government
you give us government and call it sovereignty
and then you call it democracy
but when we call for freedom
you call us terrorists
you cluster bomb our cities
and call it freedom
it's the only life I know
an examined life, an attentive life
is it the only way to go?
this is the gift worth giving
an educated mind, a gentle soul
imbued with love
and reason intertwined
all hail to thee Big Brotherland [9]
our nation proud and strong
custodian of liberty
our country right or wrong
one nation under God, loving the Lord
in perfect harmony
live long, Big Brotherland
live long
prayer
Oh Lord, have mercy upon us and forgive us our enemies against whom we trespass, attack, invade, with shock and awe and advanced weaponry; as we blow up their homes and hospitals with our incontinent ordnance; as our bad apples abuse, humiliate and maim terrorist detainees with conduct amounting to torture; as insurgent-controlled residential conurbations are pacified through total destruction; as we liberate their God-granted oil; as we bring order and civilisation, freedom and democracy to their benighted lands, debased cultures and deviant religions
Lord, have mercy upon our enemies 'cos Lord, they need it
Amen
text and music commissioned by The Song Company, who receive triennial funding from the Music Board of The Australia Council, the federal government's arts funding and advisory body
