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Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Kalifornia Uber Alles

The year was 1979, a small punk band from San Francisco, California released a single "California Uber Alles"...I was 10. The song and the band would find me only a few years later in 1983. Long since then Jello Biafra (former lead singer) and the Dead Kennedys had parted ways, sued one another, and had multiple incarnations. My understanding is that the more current Dead Kennedys (the surviving members won the name from Biafra in a lawsuit) are pro-war in Iraq, and I could give a shit about them...but Jello trudged on with "California Uber Alles" as his anthem. It's been almost 30 years since that single was released, and nothing has changed...

"On their EP In God We Trust, Inc., they recorded an updated version of the song, titled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now," about then-President Ronald Reagan, including a lounge-jazz introduction, different lyrics, and several verses set at a much slower pace. A live version of the song was also recorded, this time with the instrumentals of the original version of the song."

"Another updated version of this song about Governor Schwarzenegger, called "Kalifornia Über Alles, 21st Century", was performed live (among a few other Dead Kennedys classics) when Biafra toured with The Melvins to support their collaboration album in 2004. A live recording of this new version appears on their second collaborative effort, Sieg Howdy (2005)."


Jello Biafra has frequently made satirical references to the song in his political advocacy. A speech of his appears on the spoken word album Mob Action Against the State that is entitled "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now: War, Terrorism & Beyond." After the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California, Biafra commented, "California Über Alles indeed."



Jello if you're out there...we sure could use you now!

Blackwater invades California
Schwarzenegger supports chemical spraying of "Checkmate"

"Kalifornia Uber Alles, 21st Century" (the updated version)

i am governor schwarzenneger
pretty soon i'll be dictator
when they make me president
democracy is going away
hasta la vista, bay-bay
i will command all of you
kindergarten cop in every school
or i vill terminate you

kalifornia! uber alles!
kalifornia uber alles!
uber alles! kalifornia!
uber alles kalifornia!

enron will control you
like they staged the recall coup
steroids for the master race
so you all can haff my face
close your eyes, can't happen here
bush and cheney are already here!
third reich will come back, you say
soon as fox news has their way
can i grope your titties today?

kalifornia! uber alles!
kalifornia uber alles!
uber alles! kalifornia!
uber alles kalifornia!

mandate: two thousand und four
knock knock at your bedroom door
it's the homeland security police
you're a terrorist and so is your neice
drag you secretly to a camp
where we keep all zee girly man!
don't you worry it's for a cause
feeding halliburton's claws
die on your feet of uranium gas
north korea or iraq
run you over with my hummer, baby
when you mess with schwarzenneger
and all the money that's making him bigger!

kalifornia! uber alles!
kalifornia uber alles!
uber alles! kalifornia!
uber alles kalifornia!

i'll be back!




14 comments:

JB said...

Jello Biafra, another "JB", very interesting.

And as Adam Star and I have mentionned before, Blackwater is the River Styx. I should know, being Achilles reincarnate, and since my last name is now Blackstream. Douglas = black stream. Maybe we should look into anyone named Douglas (not me, obviously).

hello said...

that aerial spraying is being carried out over the heads of my parents right now. im not too happy.

JB said...

Check out the best explanation so far imo for the very existence and multiplication of the synchro-mystic phenomena, over at my sight (article entitled "The Time Loop Theory").

David said...

Jello Biafra helped save my life...

FilmNoir23 said...

JB: how about Douglas Adams? Hmmmm?

In many ways Jello saved my life too David. In God We Trust Inc. was the first Punk album I owned...it changed the way I thought about everything. So, even if Punk (Hardcore here in the States really) was created by the BIG BOYS it backfired on them in my case.

Occult Mosaic said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

So Douglas Adams would be the River Styx Sand Man...weird, I think my Improbability Drive is faulty.

Ben Fairhall said...

Hello Todd:

The Scientology link you've just sent isn't working. Could you try it again for me please, or cut and paste the info to my blog?

Cheers mate,
Ben

aferrismoon said...

Douglas Neil Adams - DNA was born in Cambridge the year Crick and Watson , and a couple of others, discovered the DNA structure

Jake Kotze said...

Ah yes, punk rock.. The hip hop of old folks.

Oh dear, dont mind me.

Love is the motive.

Moving on...

FilmNoir23 said...

Sorry Jake...I have seen little angst or revolt in "hip-hop" since the Public Enemy days...If I am missing out on something BY ALL MEANS show me, I am VERY open-minded when it comes to musical forms...but I DO NOT see ANY resistance in "hip-hop" culture...in fact they seem to be in love with Illuminati imagery and concepts...If I live in the past musically it's ONLY because I haven't seen any guts elsewhere...Love is great, I'm all for it...but if I wanted it from my music I'd listen to all the garbage the industry feeds us. They seem to dwell in concepts of love, apathy, and mediocrity.

Jake Kotze said...

Of course you are correct sir, mostly. The only cats I have heard say anything even slightly sensible about 9/11, Bush, NWO etc are hip hopsters like Dead Prez, The Coup etc. A few rockers seam to still care NIN and Muse come to mind.. But yes indeedy most hip hop is ego drenched stuff just like all pop-culture. I like pop (and hip hop) though, I want to help embrace and redeem it. The way out is through and all that.
I was just shaking your beehive for some kicks.
Word to your mother

David said...

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables helped change things for me.

In my on-off Bill Hick's book (not the film script which is pretty much done) I'm slowly writing, the ghost of Bill talks about hip-hop in a similar way Todd, though he makes a long rant Eminem and how basically he is a figure of hope. 'See if a trailer home cracker like him can get it - not only get out, but see through the distractions of fame, get past all that learned prejudice - and put out a song that says 'Stomp, push, shove, mush, Fuck Bush' - Man that's hope!'

FilmNoir23 said...

David:
That sounds like a MUST-READ to me.