Ball of Confusion

This has been a very busy weekend at the home of U.S. Common Sense, so I haven’t had much time to log on, let alone pick which one of the numerous issues that have popped up in the past few days (Rev. Wright, Boeing contract, Florida and Michigan delegates, etc).  While I was sitting here trying to decide, I was listening to my Temptations CD and heard the song “Ball of Confusion,” and it really seemed to sum up a lot of the issues facing the world today.  So, instead of a creative little verse from myself, I decided to provide you the lyrics to the song.  Take a moment to read it and you will see some of the parallels between the 1970s and today.

The Temptations – Ball Of Confusion

People moving out,
People moving in,
Why, because of the color of their skin,
Run, run, run, but you just can’t hide.

An eye for an eye,
Tooth for a tooth,
Vote for me and I’ll set you free,
Rap on, brother, rap on.

Well, the only person talking about loving thy brother is the preacher,
And it seems nobody’s interested in learning, but the teacher,
Segregation, demonstration, intergration, determination, aggravation, humiliation,
Obligation to our nation.

Ball of confusion,
That’s what the world is today, hey.

The sale of pills is at an all time high,
Young folks walk with their heads in the sky,
The cities aflame in the summertime,
And oh the beat goes on.

Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul-shooting rockets to the moon,
Kids growing up too soon,
Politicians say, “More taxes will solve everything,”
The band played on.

So, round and around and around we go,
Where the world’s headed, nobody knows

Oh, Great Googamooga,
Can’t you hear me talking to you,
Just a ball of confusion,
That’s what the world is today, hey.

Fear in the air, tension everywhere,
Unemployment rising fast,
The Beatles new record’s a gas,
And the only safe place to live,
Is on an Indian reservation,
The band played on.

Eve of destruction, tax deduction,
City inspectors, bill collectors, mod clothes in demand,
Population out of hand, suicide, too many bills,
Hippies moving to the hills,
People all over the world are shouting, “End the war!”,
And the band played on.

Great Googamooga,
Can’t you hear me talking to you,
Just a Ball Of Confusion