Talking Tarrytown Blues

Talking Tarrytown Blues

 

[This is a fragment of a work-in-progress, commissioned just a few hours before the final session by the Daryll B. Mordacum Foundation and then "written" by Charlie Weiner in the "talking blues" format used by Woody Guthrie and others for personal and social commentary, similar to rap today. After a 30-second rehearsal it was premiered at Tarrytown by The Reflectors* in their debut performance.

*Charlie Weiner, Patricia Williams, and Francine Coeytaux, the designated reflectors at the final session of Tarrytown I.]

 

Does biotech make you worry? weary? wary? or do you find it scary?

 

Well, if you're thinking about biotech, here's what you can do

You can talk to the people in the world with you

Talk it over and you'll soon find

You can call a meeting, speak your mind.

We can build us a movement and make it strong

Get it together, write a marching song.

GET DOWN, GET DOWN—at Tarrytown!

Get Down, Get Down—at Tarrytown!

 

Suppose there's a prof workin in the lab

Who wants to lead a life that's really fab

He tells all the grooms and all the brides

That they need to know about their nucleotides

It's G, A, T, C what I mean

Your destiny is in your gene, gene, gene.

 

Suppose you're starting college, tuition's due

And they want a sample of your DNA too

They'll study it, find out what's wrong with you.

So just give them a swab of your DNA

Cause they know how to make it pay

They'll swipe it, clone it, patent it, own it!

 

So, if you're worried about biotech, here's what you can do

You can talk to the people in the world with you

Talk it over and you'll soon find

You can call a meeting, speak your mind.

We can build us a movement and make it strong

Get it together, write a marching song.

GET DOWN, GET DOWN—at Tarrytown!

Get Down, Get Down—at Tarrytown!