12/7/09 - Devo Spice

I was going to make this my song of the day on December 6th, but remembered that December 6th is actually The Feast of St. Nicolas, so decided to find yesterday's song instead.

Devo Spice is one of the big players in the dementia world. He is one of the founders of the FuMP, has had the #1 song on Dr. Demento's site, and is a funny guy. I enjoy his stuff.

This song was actually written for Christmas of '08 but with the economy the way it is still in 2009, it could have been written yesterday. It is called, "Lean Christmas" and talks about one man's struggles with financial hardship and a wish list the size of Nebraska from his kids. Very sad and enjoyable song.



You can find Devo Spice on The FuMP, on his website on Twitter, on facebook and anywhere funny music and pastrami sandwiches are sold.

Lyrics

Hey! This is Christmas! I hope we don't miss this
My kids have half of Walmart on their wish list
But I'm flat broke so I scrape and I scrounge
All around, hey now, found a quarter in the couch!
"Alright, book of matches for Mommy."

Things are pretty lean this year and I fear
That there may be a real lack of holiday cheer
Unless I come into some money, like if I won the lottery
Or joined a blood bank, and dug into an artery
'Cause right now I just haven't got a dime
Out of work, out of money, and I'm running out of time
And I don't know what to do, man, haven't got a plan
The way it's going our house will be as festive as Iran
Most people shop at Toys R Us or at the mall
I'm at the dollar store and can't afford nothin' at all
I dig deep into my pocket to see what I can find
Excuse me, what can I get for two buttons and a piece of twine?
Hey there's a toy car with some dents
And only three wheels, but it's marked down to ten cents
Now if only I had that much money I'd be set
Guess it's time to raid the fountain to see what I can get

Hey! This is Christmas! I hope we don't miss this
My kids have half of Walmart on their wish list
But I'm flat broke so I scrape and I scrounge
All around, hey now, found a dime in the couch!
"Cool, now I can get my daughter that gumball she's been wanting."

Maybe this won't be so bad after all
I just need to get creative when I deck the halls
Like instead of a tree I'll use that broom over there
And hang some pantyhose by the chimney with care
Outdoor decorations won't be hard
I'll tie a branch on my dog and make him stand in the yard
Poison ivy works as well as mistletoe can
And for dinner we're gonna have a big ol' ham
Sandwich that we'll have to split five ways
And it's gonna have to last for a couple o' days
And the trimmings, yeah, we're gonna have all of 'em
Popcorn balls, potato chips, and M&Ms
I can't afford eggnog or any other perk
But I found a little three month old milk that aught to work
And I think I still have a fruitcake from last year
Around here somewhere, Merry Christmas, dear!

Hey! This is Christmas! I hope we don't miss this
My kids have half of Walmart on their wish list
But I'm flat broke so I scrape and I scrounge
All around, hey now, found a nickel in the couch!
"This is going right to Grandma and Grandpa. I'll tell them to go to the casino and play the nickel slots. Maybe they'll win a dollar."

But then my kid come to me with a list, and I think
That there's no way in Hell I can afford any of this
I say I'm sorry but I'm broke, there's no way that I can swing it
And she says, that's OK, Daddy, Santa Claus will bring it
And I feel my confidence rebound
And know there's no way in Hell I'm gonna let my kids down
'Cause children and family are what it's all about
And besides, what's one more mortgage on the house?

Paperwork filed, rate's locked in
Forty-seven signatures later I begin
When I'm done shopping I'll be paying an amount
For around thirty years so I better make it count
For the girl, a life size walk in doll house
With a robot maid and a butler named Klaus
For the boy, I'll get him a race car bed
One that actually drives and has cool tire tread
For the baby, I'll get him this big pneumatic
Type swing thing with toys, the Neglect-O-Matic™
And the wife, what woman could ask for more
She likes shoes so much, now she owns the damn store
For me, maybe I can finally get
That private jet, nah, maybe I'll just get a Vette
I'm up to my pancreas in debt, but hey
What can I say? It's the American way

Hey! This is Christmas! I hope we don't miss this
My kids have half of Walmart on their wish list
But I'm flat broke so I scrape and I scrounge
All around, hey now, found a penny in the couch!
"OK, I can put this on the train tracks, let a train run over it and give it to my son. Then he can have his own mutant,... squished... portrait of Lincoln.... or something."