Satirical parody of The Internationale

January 14, 2020 10:15 AM

My dad sometimes breaks out into song, a satirical parody of The Internationale that he learned back in the 60s or 70s, but his memory is fading and he can't remember all the lyrics and it's driving us both nuts. Googling the parts he does remember is getting me nowhere. Hope me, please?

Some of the lyrics go something like this:

Arise, ye rennovated masses
Arise, ye once unhappy throng
Salvation's in the middle classes
The President can do no wrong!

...

No more will Marx and Lenin bind us
We can be had, we can be bought
??? I can't remember this line at all ???
For we have Roosevelt!

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I would love to find the complete lyrics or better yet a recording. Thanks!

posted by Jacqueline to Media & Arts (5 answers total)

Found on this thread:

The US Trotskyists had a song about the CPUSA during the '30s (before WWII!), the song accompaniment to which you will recognize.

"Relax, ye renovated masses,
Relax, ye once unhappy throng,
Salvation's in the middle classes,
The President can do no wrong.

No more shall Marx and Engels bind us,
They once were all, they now are nought
In the ranks of the bourgeoisie you'll find us,
We can be had, we can be bought!

Let the Trotskyites heckle,
Their disruption is not felt,
They can keep their revolution,
For we have Roosevelt!"
posted by gideonfrog at 10:28 AM on January 14, 2020

Communists Internationale, from the Socialist Songbook, page 50.

Jinx!
posted by gideonfrog at 10:36 AM on January 14, 2020

OMG thank you so much!!!
posted by Jacqueline at 12:40 PM on January 14, 2020

My parents are Trots so I bet they had a copy of that songbook at some point. I'll see if I can track down a copy for my dad.
posted by Jacqueline at 12:41 PM on January 14, 2020

just chiming in to say, fuck yeah, socialist songbook! where you been all my life?
posted by 20 year lurk at 5:36 PM on January 15, 2020