“We are the Writers” – Our Union song

(Originally posted by Jill and Michelle on Nov. 22, 2007)

Jill Sobule & Michelle Lewis: "We Are the Writers " (MP3, 2:18)

For my appearance on NPR's Bryant Park Project this AM (reeeally early), I decided not to go with the Turkey number, but rather with a song about the writer's strike, again with help from my fellow Provocateur, Michelle Lewis. I was trying to get serious union with it -- in the lower part of my vocal range and in E minor (the angriest of all keys). Also, I wore a kind of Trotsky-like hat. It was radio, so you couldn't see it. I also want to send out a thanks to Kim Dickens for handing me the lines about stage hands and Scott Baio.

Here are the words:

We toil in the writers' rooms
The windowless and darkened gloom
We entertain the people of this land
We've forsaken our great novel
For the sitcom and the pilot
Our blood and sweat and punch lines for The Man.

We are the writers
We are the writers
And we are the wronged...

Just like our brothers in the coal mines
And the stagehands of the East
We will suffer with just donuts
Out on Melrose in the heat

The producers get the glory
And the actors get the fame
We Cyranos of the back lot
Left out of the game.
("New media" they're calling it)

We are the writers
We are the writers
And we are the wronged...

All we asking is our piece of the pie
Without another season of Mad Men, I'd surely die
My friend, do you know what will happen
If in the end they don't pay?
More of that Scot Baio show
And spin offs of Flava Flav ------ Flava Flav

So we'll strike, for our right
Just to write and get paid
Yes, we'll fight and we'll sing you this song...
We are the writers,
We are the writers
And we are the wronged

I do love the show Mad Men.

Michelle's note: Personally, I think it's Johnny's Cash's hat Jill is wearing. Also, just wanna say that Jill and I are both in SAG and AFTRA and fully support our writer friends in this strike (we've both picketed!). Happy Thanksgiving!