Christine
Lavin
"Mencken's Pen"
words by H. L. Mencken
music by Christine Lavin
free mp3 download
"As democracy is perfected, the office [of the president] represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people.
We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last,
and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
H.L. Mencken wrote that
more than 80 years ago
today his words ring true
although we think we're making progress
we better think again
when we read what was written
by H. L. Mencken's pen
Mencken's pen
A church is a place in which gentlemen who have never been to heaven brag about it to persons who will never get there
A judge is a law student who marks his own exam papers
In the United States, doing good has come to be, like patriotism, a favorite device of persons with something to sell
All men are frauds. The only difference between them is that some admit it. I myself deny it.
Adultery is the application of democracy to love
Conscience is a mother-in-law whose visit never ends
And the inner voice that warns us that someone might be looking
Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods
Never let inferiors do you a favor -- it will be extremely costly
I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone
H.L. Mencken wrote that
more than 70 years ago
but the words still echo true you know
we think we're making progress
we better think again
when we read what was written
by H. L. Mencken's pen
Mencken's pen
I never lecture, not because I am shy or a bad speaker, but simply because I detest the sort of people who go to lectures and I don't want to meet them
I never smoked a cigarette until I was nine
If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner
Criticism is prejudice made plausible
It is hard to believe that a man is telling the truth when you know that if you were in his place . . . you would lie
In war the heroes always outnumber the soldiers ten to one
Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable
In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican
H.L. Mencken wrote that
more than 60 years ago
got a kick out of tweaking the status quo
we think we're making progress
we better think again
when we read what was written
by H. L. Mencken's pen
Mencken's pen
A legend is a lie that has attained the dignity of age
As the arteries grow hard, the heart grows soft
Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence
Puritanism: the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy
The theory seems to be that as long as a man is a failure he is one of God's children, but that as soon as he succeeds he is taken over by the Devil
Say what you will about the ten commandments, you must always come back to the pleasant fact that there are only ten of them
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance
War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands
H.L. Mencken wrote that
more than 50 years ago
today it is still apropos
we think we're making progress
we better think again
when we read what was written
by H. L. Mencken's pen
Mencken's pen
- - - - - - - - - -
Christine Lavin: vocal and guitar
Steve Doyle: bass
Robin Batteau: violin
Produced by Brian Bauers
October 12, 2008
Midtown Sound
New York City
Previously heard on Gene Weingarten's chat:
Ha Ha Ha Ha Tsk Tsk Sigh.mp3Backup Site for mp3
Ha Ha Ha Ha Tsk Tsk Sigh.mp3
Christine Lavin: vocal and guitar
The Laughing Sires: Brian Bauers, Jed Fort, Maury Nessen
Recording produced and engineered by Brian Bauers
Assisted by Jed Fort
Recorded June 2, 2008 at Midtown Sound, NYC
