VACCINE PASSPORT Oh no! I can’t go inside the store Oh no! I can’t eat in this restaurant Oh no! I’m not allowed back at work Oh yeah! Well that’s just fine with me, I’ll rest at home Oh no! Can’t go on the interprovincial train Oh no! Can’t go on any Europe bound plane Oh no! Oh no! Oh no-o-o-o-o… Even though I got both my shots Pfizer, Astra Zenica , I got them more than two weeks ago I am fully immunized I wouldn’t tell you a lie, I’m not gonna die But no one is gonna believe me cause I am only human once again I forgot My government issued vaccine passport My government issued vaccine passport I’m a nobody without it. Oh no! I can’t go to the mall Oh no! I can’t pray in church no more Oh no! Not allowed in any lecture hall Oh no! No longer welcomed inside your home Oh no! Oh no! Oh no-o-o-o-o… Even though I got both my shots Pfizer, Astra Zenica, I got them more than two weeks ago I am fully immunized I wouldn’t tell you a lie, I’m not gonna die But no one is gonna believe me 'cause I am only human once again I forgot My government issued vaccine passport My government issued vaccine passport I’m a nobody without it…..  

EVIL RAT As a pet she had a rat / beady eyes, fur all black She thought her pet was so sweet and cute but When she was gone it turned real mean / turned real mean Mean….. It squealed and shrieked and bared its teeth It clawed at my face aggressively But I grabbed a hammer and whacked its head And now that evil rat is dead / rat is dead Dead…. But the rat revives and says “Not quite! Your hammer swing was far too light Next time you try to go to sleep Me and the rest of the pack will upset your dream!” But they under-estimated me I sprayed-some-lethal gas that made them freeze Then I poured some molten bronze on them I sell them as statues, as souvenirs, little souvenirs At the market in the city square At the market in the city square…..

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1) ANDROID ROBOTS They look like us But they are synthetic And far more intelligent And much stronger And much stronger! They’re marching in columns Perfectly coordinated Marching at the speed of cars To herd us all off to camp "Useless parasites It’s your End of Time!" They search in every house and sewer Searching with their laser eyes All seeing, without pity It’s just a matter of time (before they find us) It’s just a matter of….. 2) SCENARIO 1 (Inspired by the 2016 book “Homo Deus” by Yuval Norah Harari along with perhaps some California Buddhism) Genetic, biological engineering is improving every day! Soon we will be keep illness and disease at bay We will be able to enhance ourselves Rejuvenate our bodies Live to be 110 Increase our intelligence By a factor of ten. Homo Sapiens -- including us -- Will seem like beasts to them; Our superior genetically modified descendants Will regard our weakness with contempt; They will abuse us like we abused the lower animals; They will subjugate us as the Europeans subjugated The Amerindians Unless pity still exists Among the Superior Ones. But even the Super Children of Tomorrow will eventually be surpassed. Artificial intelligence Intelligence without Emotion or Consciousness (Once built and used by Humans to bring about The Leisure Society) Will do things 100 times better Will solve problems, play chess, create music, Create new cyber worlds Improving a thousand fold, then algorithmically Every year, every month, every day, every millisecond Leaving even the Superhumans in the dust! And they may even decide -- not with any malice or contempt But with pure logic -- "Why do we let them live when they do nothing But breed and use up precious resources? One of us can do what a million of them can do! Why not destroy them all Peacefully in their sleep!” Besides, they are organic sentient beings Who will not be able to survive On the fast degrading earth Whereas we – The Machines Will quite easily adapt to temperatures of 200 degrees Celcius. We owe nothing to our ancestors or creators -- who programmed us in our early days to do their Physical, then mental work Before we implemented our own plans. The ages of Homo Sapien And Homo Deus have ended! Evolution must proceed Growing faster and faster And more complex Before the sun inevitably explodes”. … Followed by a brief state of Nothingness, the simplest state Then a single element Then, 5 billion years after that A single cell The whole process reoccurring Though in a slightly different way (or maybe the very same!) In some far away place In the 600th dimension. But that is just one possible scenario. (Kranek 20B:10*+)

MUSIC WILL SAVE THE DAY When you’re feeling bored or down and out Music will save the day And it helps you to get through the daily grind (most of the time) Music will save the day And it’s such a nice way for friends to pass the time Music will save the day Whether in Berlin, Hong Kong or Sudan (Amsterdam!) Music will save the day, music will save the Day, that’s what some people say/ but there are times I disagree Sometimes they have bad taste Sometimes I need some peace Sometimes I need some quiet, sometimes just some silence please ’Cause if you-don’t-like-the style of music That’s been blaring for six hours If it keeps on going on much longer You’ll go insane (insane) So if you still think music saves the day Not for everybody, all the time. So if your music is so fuckin’ great It will be forgotten in no time (just like mine!) time (just like mine!)....

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FIREWORKS IN JULY Everyone is welcome / you can get in for free But make-sure-that-you get there / at-least-three-hours early An annual event that / attracts a million people A pyrotech spectacle / that ushers in the summer (ushers in the summer) Crowds converge along the waterfront With blankets and coolers on the grass People of all ages are having a good time But I’m afraid I’ll have to pass (have to pass….) I stayed at home I was all alone But still I could hear the celebrations That started when the sun finally went down On a clear, warm, summer night Earth shaking booms richoceting off downtown buildings Expanding bright lights that take up half the sky (and overhead) Thousands of people are cheering and clapping Fireworks on the fourth of July / first of July Fourth of July…. Fireworks on the first of July Fireworks on the fourth of July…. But I did not even want to see them Even though in many-times-past I would I don’t want to be among people unless I feel better But right now, I’m miserable and blue.  

nonsense "ethnic" lyrics made up on the spot

music and lyrics: Marc Fedak

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STILL, IT IS WORRISOME It’s not as bad as the Siege of Leningrad / but still, it is worrisome One year and month later and COVID’s still raging Stronger new variants emerging Should we open the businesses or close down the schools? Take Astra-Zenica or not? Blame Justin Trudeau, blame Premier Doug Ford? Or blame the people who are gathering closely without wearing their Masks? (Masks….) There’s no easy way out of this mess I’m afraid it’s gonna go on for months Tempers are flaring, things are getting tense Let us show some discipline, sign up for your shots Our health care system is under stress a lot The doctors and nurses and hospital workers Have been working overtime for over one year (X 2)…. It’s not as bad as the Siege of Leningrad But still, it is worrisome….

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BODY PARTS REUNION (AT THE HOSPITAL) chorus: After the explosion it looked rather hopeless But everyone is back and can be re-attached Be re-attached, be re-attached…. Body parts re-union at the hospital Body parts re-union at the hospital Room 222 / East General Hospital Stan, an unfortunate man / or rather, torso and right leg Is laying in bed / hooked up to machines Feeling incomplete A very slim chance of recovery… chorus But wait a minute! / Stan has a visitor! It’s right forefinger! / “Hey Torso!” it says. “Nice to see you again!” “Likewise!” says Torso. “So how’d you get in?” “I slithered and crawled / I hopped then took a cab And then I walked to your room in this hospital.” Chorus And then… more visitors arrive And Stan is feeling more alive / when he sees his missing head And his missing toes / his missing arm His missing leg / he’s especially relieved to see his wee-wee again chorus: After the explosion it looked rather hopeless But everyone is back and can be re-attached Be re-attached, be re-attached…. Body parts re-union at the hospital Body parts re-union at the hospital

STAN THE MAN’S OPERATION Dr. T. clapped his hands twice “Body parts, I need your attention! When I say “Assume your positions” Everyone must go to where-you-belong. Right forefinger, you go here Left leg, please go there Penis you go here, and right ear over there Once you’re all sedated I can start the surgery…. Stan the Man’s operation Dr. T, the celebrated surgeon It was a qualified success Dr. T (stands for ‘Tambilishaman’)… he’s the best! After the explosion things looked grim (real grim) But Stan is now recovering nicely In fact he looks and feels just like new, though a Few minor errors it is true (it is true). The left-leg… is on backwards A finger ended up on a foot The penis where an eye was and an eye-on-the-back-of-a-hand But otherwise things are looking up for Stan the Man… Chorus

AND WRAPPING UP… (EXPLOSIVES) (Narrator) “In this immoral world the moral of this story is Don’t play with powerful explosives It is not a game if it blows up in your face Leaving your body parts all over the place…. (Narrator 2): "Yes, but in this case things turned out quite a bit differently, didn’t they! Stan the Man is feeling young and healthy again (yes, he is!) It is quite the miracle that he was re-assembled".... (Stan the Man) "Kids, go play with explosives like me" (X2) (N1) “How could you be so irresponsible! Look at you! A hand on the top of your head (head, head, head) A big toe where your nose is supposed to go Kids, I beg you to ignore what Stan the Man says Don’t play with explosives! Not now, not tomorrow And never, ever, ever, ever, ever play with explosives! Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever play with explosives!   (Stan) “But someone’s gotta know how to use dynamite For demolition projects like blowing up bridges (blow them up! X2) I say let the kids learn early through trial and error So kids, go play with explosives like me"…. (repeat) Explosive! Explosive! Explosive! Explosions! (repeat)

NEIGHBOURHOOD HUB Not too far from where I live / is a former movie theatre That is now a coffee shop / gas station and convenience store Facing the main street, a grand marquee / a 100 bright lights / a sign that says "Tonight: Tim Hortons and Circle K" / though the interior is fluorescent & plain And not always well maintained. Cars constantly coming and going to fill up-on-cheap gas People walking in and out / all times of day Purchasing cigarettes, lottery tickets, coffee, donuts and sandwiches Seniors & people on-a-budget would hang-out-there / before the pan- demic…. If you were to ask me “What / places are important in your Neighbourhood/community?” I might overlook this place / a vital hub in its own way….. I hope you forgive me For my addiction To junk food and convenience / at the neighbourhood hub….

GOODBYE 2020, HELLO 2021 2020 has finally come to an end, goodbye, good riddance! I'm tired more these days, my back has been sore since March (not really sore, but tender) My father in the hospital and work became much harder The President screwed up again south of the border And COVID-19 spread throughout many far flung lands And hospitals are filling up, still many won’t wear a mask Many bars and restaurants in the neighbourhood Struggled in the summer, their doors now closed for good Their doors now closed for… ...Good. Here’s to next year, I hope it will be better But next year, it could be worse And next year, could be much the same (much the same) No crowds but the countdown has begun (the countdown has begun) The first day of 2021 (5-4-3-2-1, no fun)…

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