To the Editor:
Here’s an interesting little song I found in my old vinyl albums last week. The song was sung by the Kingston Trio and written by Sheldon Harnick in 1958. Save for the fact that some of the countries are different, it really sounds like not much has changed.
The Merry Minuet
They’re rioting in Africa
They’re starving in Spain
There are hurricanes in Florida
and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles
Italians hate Yugoslavs, South Africans hate the Dutch
and I don’t like anybody very much.
But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud
For man’s been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud
And we know for certain that some lucky day
Someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away.
They’re rioting in Africa
There’s strife in Iran
What nature doesn’t do to us
will be done by our fellow man!
Fred Thornbrugh
Vineyard Haven
