This is where it all began, with a parody of Suzanne Vega's "Luka" in 1987 about Arizona Governor Evan Mecham, a snarly, racist weasel. I on a local radio station contest (KZZP) and got played on the Dr. Demento show oooh lol anyway we impeached and removed that sumbitch.
Shoutout to some guy in Mesa, AZ who laid down all the tracks and recorded my vocals in his home studio for a small fee. You rock, dude!

My name is Mecham
I live in another world
I got this job from you
Guess that puts your head in a swirl
If I do something you don't like
Hit the road, Jack take a hike
Just don't ask me to give an inch
Just don't ask me to give an inch
Just don't ask me to give one inch

I think it's 'cause I'm righteous
I upset the leftist mob
Maybe it's because I'm perfect
No one else could do this job
The Press is out to get my hide
They'd like to see me crucified
They just won't publish anymore
They just won't publish anymore
They just won't publish anymore

Yeah, I'm running the state
I'm the one who cracks the whip
If you don't like it, go away
Just don't rain on my parade
I guess I'd like to run a state
Where everyone is white and straight
Just don't push me anymore
Just don't push me anymore
Just don't push me anymore

My name is Mecham
I live in another world
I got this job from you
Guess that puts your head in a swirl
If I do something you don't like, well
Hit the road, Jack take a hike
Just don't cross me anymore
Just don't cross me anymore
Just don't cross me anymore

I guess I'd like to run a state
Where everyone is white and straight
Just don't cross me anymore
Just don't cross me anymore
Just don't cross me anymore

--Stormin

My Name is Mecham (1987)

Squeeze Play '79 

Stormin— Lead vocals, rythym guitar
Paul M— Lead guitar, backing vocals
Tom FX C— Keyboards
Don M— Bass, backing vocals
The Shadow— Drums

SURRENDER (by Squeeze Play)

The tale of ousted/convicted/pardoned former Maricopa Co (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio of "Tent City" infamy, aka Sheriff Joke, a racist, corrupt, lawless, egomaniacal mofo. Lol in his previous life, fellow DEA called him "Nickel Bag Joe". Written/Recorded Spring 2006. From "MOp-Ed Drive-Bys Vol. I"

THE GUY WHO RUNS TENT CITY

(from "The Boy From New York City")

Oh man he's one twisted kitty
Talkin' about the guy who runs Tent City
No no there ain't nothin pretty
When it comes to the guy who runs the tent city

He's crude and mean and sometimes sounds insane (oh yeah)
Like when he says he'll guard the border from sixty miles away (he's mad)
He brags about green meat (oooh) and his death chair seat (it's hot)
He gets his kicks making folks live out in the heat (real sad)
Screw their dignity (screwoohooee) it gets him on the teevee
They're just props (backdrop) photo ops (toy cop)

Oh man he's one twisted kitty
Talkin' about the guy who runs Tent City 

He struts around like he wears a crown (big man)
He's got the largest ego that the Guinness people ever found (big ham)
The man gets sued (sued...) every day or two (free shot)
And his female prisoners were degraded by his pervy view (webcam)
He'll invent the scene you just put in on the screen
Spider bombs (ha ha) chain gang moms (mama)

Once he sent the Sheriff's Posse off to fight sex crime
No one got arrested but they had a real good time oh yeah (good time!)

Those pink underpants  part of his tough-guy stance (hardline)
But he's got this special jail for wayward stars who dance (real fine)
It's VIP nice  the champagne's on ice (yeehaw)
He kept the Rhinestone Cowboy safe there for a price (show time)
Sooie y'all saw Glen on the teevee (sooie)
With his host (you know) aired coast-to-coast (it's Joe)

Oh man he's one twisted kitty
Talkin' about the guy who runs Tent City
No, no, there ain't nothin' pretty
When it comes to the guy who runs the tent city 
Oh man he's one effed-up kitty
Talkin' about the guy who runs Tent City
No no there ain't nothin pretty
When it comes to the guy who runs the tent city

Nothin' pretty (in Tent City)
There's nothin pretty

In Tent City (nothin' pretty)

THE GUY WHO RUNS TENT CITY

August 2022: I bailed on a paid Soundcloud account, so I lost ny spotlight songs and I don't seem to be able do anything about the order of things and such. Oh well. Dig deep for 'Lance.'
February 2021: Once upon a time I made some political parody song records. I called the pieces MOp-Eds...musical op-eds. I cranked out piles of parody lyrics in the post-9/11 "oughts". I turned a couple dozen or so into MOp-Eds in 2006-2008, and recorded a few original songs, including one about Pat Tillman that you'll find here.

I did the vocals, guitars, keyboards, keyboard bass, horns, and, mostly, drum tracks with percussion adds on my MOp-Eds. I sometimes played all the keyboard drums myself, when I could bash like Bonzo ("Lance Plays a Nasty Game"-- check it out). I played the mad amateur garage studio scientist/engineer/producer/arranger, occasionally to good effect. I got to re-create some of my favorite classic songs, and I had WAY too much fun in 2006-2008 doing it.

Here they mostly are, at long last, finally on the 'Cloud, for the record and for posterity. COVID-19...you never know, right? I hope you'll find one that makes you crack up, or cry, or rock out or dance or singalong. Ot maybe even become one of "your songs". That has actually happened a time or two. So I got that going for me.

Enjoy. Rock and Roll. Save some for Lance Armstrong.

--Norm

THE GUY WHO RUNS TENT CITY

Stormin Norman the nag

Related tracks