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From: FallingRain123
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  • 3:54. Vietnam proved this wrong.

  • So it was Nixon who had it pulled. I thought it might be Rush Limbaugh.

  • A "conservative" in 1776 is completely different from a modern conservative. Jefferson was a "liberal," but believed that the creation of any national debt or an army would give the government too much power. Imagine if Jefferson heard the words, "government-run health care." John Adam's writings have actually been important documents for the philosophy of the modern Republican party. A better question is which party wants to preserve dependence on overbearing government at the cost of freedom?

  • It is not ballet. It is a gavotte, which was the popular dance of the day that would have been known to all members of the Congress.

  • @MikeKanner1 Actually a minuet. Minuet is 3/4; gavotte is 4/4.

  • George washington's Courier walked in like "The Fuck is this?"

  • It wouldn't be so damn hot if they took their coats off

  • Sweet Jesus!

  • The messanger guy is all like,

    "What is going on? I didn't know our congress sang and danced....." LOL

  • The wall street protesters might sing this, some would rather hope to be rich rather then be who they are. Just a thought.

  • The only bad thing about the musical is the fact that I'll be in the middle of social studies, the teacher will say something even remotely related to the continental congress, the declaration of independence, etc... and I have to try to refrain from bursting into laughter or song. Very awkward when you're discussing a serious topic and out of nowhere comes "We're waiting for the chirp, chirp, chirp..." or "But Mr. Adams..."

  • I'm surprised people keep making the comparison to the GOP with this song, as if that's negative. The whole point of their song is, "We're wealthy and secure, and we're about to risk all of that on a war we think is pointless, and which we aren't sure we can win." One of the biggest complaints, rightly, about the modern GOP is that they've gotten us involved in multiple costly wars that aren't necessary, and which we may not win.

  • Well endowered wifes, back when the father's paid the groom money and land to take the bride.

  • I have to admit, I think the film's better without this number. It's *very* long and doesn't have particularly good lyrics.

  • This is one of my favorite parts of the musical, and probably my favorite song as well...funny because John Adams is one of my ancestors :) It's just so catchy...

  • Why do I love it so much that they rhyme "Hosanna" with "manner"

  • my high school is doing this play, I'm playing John Dickinson :D

  • @silver202121 Same here, or John Adams... :D

  • do you think if i sing this during my history class i'll become cool?

  • I never knew this existed!!!!! WOW.... whoever you are to put this online.... BRAVO!!!! I love this movie and NO ONE can/will ever compare to Da Silva as Franklin and Daniels as Adams.

  • @americanwomanFL How did you not know this existed? It's been in the Musical since the beginning (and still is in the revival). You really should try to see a live show, it's amazing.

  • @a1024s Not in the movie version that I have (someone copied it for me like 20 years ago!) and that is all I know! I live in a small town and don't think the play has come anywhere close to me! I would LOVE to see it, though. Thank you for responding....

  • What's this "Hosanna" thing?

  • @a1024s

    It's cry of praise or adoration shouted in recognition of the Messiah ship of Jesus on his entry into Jerusalem, "Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" It is used in the same way in Christian praise.

  • Talking about how we shouldn't progress quickly or society won't survive...and the whole "Never to the left, forever to the right" thing, not voting because Status Quo is God to them.....yep, I'm seeing those parallels Nixon worried about!

    Love the movie and musical though.

  • He's talking about what they have, while under the control of england. land, money, well-endowed wives(good looking, beautiful), etc. "Ever to the right, never to the left," basically means going backwards, I think that means they dont want independence &, "cool considerate", meaning against change and keeping to traditional values and attitudes, Idk the exact idea... but my teacher was talking about it & I didnt quite understand but it was discussed in class.

  • @sarahgrulz nah hes saying "right" as in "right wing" as in conservatives. those that are opposed to change and hold traditional values, so naturally these were against independance. Dickinson wasnt really a conservative though

  • @manufan2828 ooh. i should have listened better in class.

  • After reading some of the comments on here, I think some are forgetting that a liberal or conservative back then is far different than a liberal and conservative now.

  • why was this cut? I don't find it offensive.

  • @freddy3911 because they gave President Nixon a private showing of the film before it was released to the public, and it was this number that pissed him off. Why? Because he was a Republican, and this song pretty much pokes fun at Republicans

  • @freddy3911 Not at all. If you understand it, it's really about the Liberals, who want statism.

  • Song written by Dick Cheney

  • Very appropriate for today.

  • @1Natick1 You r so right. those idiots were cutting it kind of close 2day weren't they?

  • I'm kind of upset that my lovable little dork  Dr.Lyman Hall got caught up in this business. However I do love the "who the HELL does this guy think he is?" stare that Dr.Hall gives Dickinson at 1:11

  • @History4778, in the Musical, Hall is new to the Congress and is deciding to be the observer for time being, but he later decides to favor independence. he is perhaps the only character in the play top do so without being strong-armed or sweet talked.

  • See, this is why nothing gets done in Congress. Everyone's too busy singing, dancing, and learning the songs and steps that go with the productions.

  • @KingSesmu Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the reason why nothing ever gets done is because everybody talks very loud and very fast and nobody listens to anybody else.

  • @M4c4v17y I 'm from NY too

  • @Dan4CW Small world!

  • I love this musical; it is one of my favorites. Sad, though, how somethings never change. I can see why it was so offensive to President Nixon: the truth can be very telling.

  • I don't see how this song was "offensive". I love this musical though. 1776 and REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA are much better than GREASE.

  • I saw the Broadway production back in 1970 so I knew all the songs.

    When to my disappointment CCM was missing I Thought it had been cut much like

    "Now I have everything" was missing from "Fiddler" songs are very often missing from films based on Broadway, i.e. Molly Brown has a lot of songs in the film that were not in the Broadway one.

  • @TheVbphoto Would give anything to have been able to have seen the original cast onstage.

    unfortunately that was well before my time

  • love how everyone in second continental congress has taken ballet classes lol

  • @bajillionballet15

    And singing classes...don't forget singing classes

  • @bajillionballet15 Dancing lessons?  Yes, they certainly would have. It was considered to be necessary for a gentleman. Not ballet, but the dance moves are closely related--more side movement than up movement, though.

  • @bajillionballet15 Why is that so abnormal? Our CURRENT Congress STILL dances around everything!

  • @bajillionballet15 Michelle Bachmann campaigned on giving out dance lessons.

  • Comment removed

  • This was considered the conservative counter weight to the song Molasses to Rum to Slaves. Since it was supportive to slavery and it held the lyric "ever to the right, never to the left" it is said Nixon requested it removed through his friendship with Jack Warner.

  • @WheelsUp54 Instead of responding to criticism of an ideology, just stop that criticism from being in the movie! How very Right. ;]

  • @WheelsUp54 The real inaccuracy is, that the terms, "right wing" and "left wing" hadn't been coined yet, in 1776: those had to wait for the FRENCH Revolution!

  • It's a musical! It never claimed to be historically accurate. It was an artists interpretation of what "could have" happened.

  • Nixon wanted two numbers removed from the movie. "Cool Considerate Men " was one of them. I wonder why?

  • Wonderful Short Film

  • WE ARE COOL

  • When it became law in Florida (10 years ago?) that every year the students were required 3 hours of The Declaration of Independance study, my school's teachers & students just did this play. Love this play. Love the music. Love the history!

  • Can anyone tell me who the actor singing in the green jacket is? cos he looks familiar but i just cant place him.

  • @mistyChacha Leading the proceedings? Donald Madden (1928-1983). Outstanding stage actor with numerous film credits, and a recurring role in the Dr. Kildare TV series.

    This is one of the finest stage casts ever to appear in a movie.

  • @5610winston ty for clearing that up =)

  • Very bad ass song.

  • The problem with protecting the possibility of being rich, is that it also limits the opportunities for poor people to compete with the rich.

  • @firefalcoln True! But a monopoly is always defended fiercest by the holders of the monopoly. Read what Thomas Babbington has written about copy-right.

  • "Most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor." -- The foundation of today's Republican Party.

  • ???

  • @giganixon This quote explains why dribble-down economics has so many supporters.

  • @giganixon The poor vote Democrat. It would be more accurate to say that the foundation of today's Democratic party is "steal from the rich to give to the poor so they will vote for us, even if our attacks on the rich are responsible for keeping them poor".

  • @giganixon

    Which modern political party do you think uses John Adam's Federalist Papers as a staple of their literature? Also, which party is big on freedom from oppressive government?

  • the part we didn't see was John Hancock running after their carriages shouting "WAIT STOP THE MEETING ISN'T OVER YET! COME BACK!" XD

  • hate to think what would happen if these guys were successful in derailing the revolution.

  • I think that they kept the windows closed to keep secret what was being said and done. When the constitution was written is was said of an old lady who asked "Mr. Franklin what do we have?" To which Franklin responded, "A Republic if you can keep it." For this reason it is obvious that nobody knew what the Congress was doing. I do think the request for opening windows was to stifle certain conversation..... or at least an interesting theory. :)

  • @Flayprime That was the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when they secretly (and illegaly!) made the Constitution. They kept the windows shut here, because Philadelphia was a large city, therefore smelly and filthy and full of flies. Also, it was summer and very hot. If they kept the windows open, the flies would have gotten in and been really, really annoying and nasty. 

  • At 4:56 Dickinson makes a profound comment that is true throughout the ages.

    His response to Hancock's "Fortunately there are not enough men of property to dictate policy."

    "Perhaps not, but don't forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor."

  • Big Pimpin' 18th century style. :D

  • Republicans-lol!!

  • Remember 3 things:

    1) these were the men opposed to Independence

    2) these men are conservative businessmen

  • @PimPeccable number 3?

  • @PimPeccable and they were cool XD

  • Best movie ever!

  • Dickinson comes off absolutely despicably here (which is of course to the actor's, director's, and writer's credit). He looks like he's trying to make cool, considerate appeals to his people's good judgment, but a fiery passion for Torie-ness keeps almost breaking through. It's an excellent performance--nefarious, diabolical.

    One knock on it, though: Think they've got enough walking sticks?? Every single one of them carrying such a demonstrative prop just looks silly.

  • @aperson2222 I could be wrong but I beleive it was the style back then among upper class people to have a walking stick regardless of any actual problems with walking.

  • @MikaeleBaker That may be, but the sight of so very many people using them so demonstratively all at the same time is overkill.

  • @MikaeleBaker yes you are correct it was part of the colonial style for men to carry walking sticks.

  • can somebody please upload the Overture & Entr'Acte music from the LaserDisc and the scene with Jefferson smiling at a child?

  • anybody have this song, the Overture & "Momma, Look Sharp" as mp3 downloads?

  • at 2:27-2:34 is that a flute? what's that effect called?

  • @hellosaturn sounds like dissonance

  • @hellosaturn I think the flutes are doing multiphonics or flutter-tongues...

  • @Maestrojosh87 You're right. That's definitely flutter-tonguing.

  • John Dickinson was a brilliant man. He said "Most men would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor, and that is why they (the people) will follow us to the right, ever to the right, never to the left...". Hancock was owned (he also happened to be the richest man in America, the Donald Trump of his day, far more wealthy than Dickinson).

    PS

    Nixon rules!!!

  • John Dickinson was a brilliant man

  • This is rather unrepresentative of John Dickinson. =[

  • @IagoDoll but it's a damn good song thoug XD

  • @IagoDoll Really? He was a representative of the wealthy class of America. Dickinson could not decide what he wanted to be.

  • @IagoDoll Yes, I agree. I did my thesis on Dickinson and this drives me crazy. I'm glad to know that I'm not hte only one who knows it's inaccurate.

  • @IagoDoll your right. but i guess they did it do they could have a clear antagonist representing the loyalists and for the plot device of pennsylvania's vote

  • @IagoDoll Unrepresentative of Hancock as well.

  • man pure genius

  • Wow... check out those Nazi moves from 5:40 onward...

  • Comment removed

  • 5:31 favorite moment

  • "Cool cool considerate men?"

    Are you kidding me? More like shortsighted arrogant cowards.

  • @kittiekat10105 "Cool" as in control, reserved, "relectuant to be bold"  ya know...conservative. Not cool as in popularity or whatever. That definition didn't exist in the 18th century.

  • @1940semochild I know that. I just thought my impression of them fit much better.

  • @kittiekat10105 Then I apoligize. But since you mentioned it, you do have a point.

  • @kittiekat10105 I think the conservative side did have a very good argument for staying with England (this movie just paints a really bad picture of them). Remember, they knew a lot of people would have to be sacrificed to the cause, especially since the British military was the best in the world. And the colonists were asked to pay lower taxes than British citizens (although without representation). But I'm so happy we did split...I love America :)

  • @fallonhadley Very true, but that's just the impression I get from the song. It's not meant to be taken seriously.

  • @kittiekat10105 Oh okay :) Sorry

  • WE ARE COOL! Yes, cool! Mr. Rutledge, get the sunglasses and the gaudy golden chains! We'll show Mr. Adams how to have a music number, WON'T WE, GENTLEMEN?

  • This song is not overly political, in my opinion. In fact, it is completely inapplicable to today. The world was different back then, the political parties, in particular. Sure, there is always, was always, and will always be the battle of 'small' vs. 'large' government, but other than that... you can't really relate historic conservatism or liberalism to the modern sort. So... SHUT UP about politics and enjoy the music!

  • 3 people insist on dancing with John Adams.

  • "you say this game's not of our choosing, why should we risk losing?" I love his voice.

  • One question, I thought that the idea of Right=conservative and Liberal=left came from the French republic, which was nearly twenty years later....why do they call themselves the Right here?

    Feel free to correct me!

  • @ABookwormAndProud actually right and left refer to the british parliament, with different groups sitting on different sides of the isle. It's also where we get back benchers even though we don't have back benchers in the US.

  • @ABookwormAndProud No you're right but I believe the scence deliberately used the 20th century idea of left and right to make a point about the current times. (ie the early 70s) Left/Right divisiveness over Vietnam etc. Big reason Nixon wanted the scene removed. It called him out and was a criticism of conservatism. Brilliant scene.

  • WE ARE COOL!!!!!!

  • I lovelovelove this scene.

  • "Don't forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor. And that is why they will follow us to the right, ever to the right. Never to the left, forever to the right." That is THE resonant quote from this sequence. Relevant today. People will vote against their own self-interests for Republican and Democratic corporatists, just to protect a dream that they will not be allowed to see fulfilled.

  • "Don't forget that most men with nothing would rather protect the prospect of becoming rich, than face the reality of being poor. And that is why they will follow us to the right, ever to the right, never to the left, forever to the right." -- that is THE telling and still relevant quote from this scene. It's why people will continue to vote for the corporate party -- the Republicans -- even against their own self interests.

  • Lol, I WISH the founding fathers broke out into song. That would have been epic.

  • We can now compare this song to the current administration of our government. Just change the "rights" to "lefts" and we're accurate to this day and age.

  • @hardcharging The "rights" and "lefts" have not changed 1 bit...we fight the same battles today as we did in 1776. Jefferson, Adams and Franklin were radicals, let alone "left".

  • @carter84262 Adams might be considered a conservative today. As President, he passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. These, among other things, made it much harder for people to become citizens (perhaps analogous to the current Tea Party position on illegal immigration.)

  • @niuchemist He said he was forced into that act...just as he was forced into agreeing to put off Emancipation. Don't look at the sound bites...look deeper. Adams was a radical, nothing more or less than a hippie. If he came across teapartiers today he do what he did with the conservatives then...he had to be restrained many times.

  • @carter84262 I wasn't aware he was forced into signing those laws (by political pressure or otherwise). I'll have to read into it more deeply. It was my understanding that he signed those laws of his own desire and it was Jefferson who disliked them, and did not renew them when they expired during his term.

  • the title is "Cool Conservative Men" not "Considerate"

  • @doridoidae, how do you know?

  • @doridoidae considering that conservative was only used in like 1 verse, and considerate was screamed almost every time after they said "cool cool," i do believe i can safly say that the title is "Cool Cool CONSIDERATE Men." XP

  • When people share an opinion, the common way of expressing this mutuality is through dance. :)

  • Their harmony is amazing

  • Man, this is such a great song -- the music is great, the harmonies are great, and the choreography is great. Everything works.

    It's a real pity it got cut out of the original run. I think the film is much, much poorer without it. Certainly, Dickinson loses a good part of his character without the song, and Adams loses a key plot point in his own struggle for Independency.

  • this is my favorite song in the movie . Dickinson is my favorite he's hot !

  • im just happy i have plenty of money and land

  • @thunderstruck665: You are absolutely right. And Mikkakun: this song was struck from the original edit of the movie because of the politics of the day. Nixon was ascendant and had a list of "enemies" to hew to. If the revolution wasn't about politics, then what was? Discussion of politics is absolutely appropriate. With this song especially.

  • Damn Nixon. Well, thank God he's dead.

  • Gotta love what a smug smirking bastard Rutledge is at 5:28.

  • For all the comparisons looney Ron Paul supporters like to make in regards to him and our founders, truth be told, THIS is the side Ron Paul would've been on in revolutionary times. Sit in the corner, don't bother anybody, don't fight, don't make anybody angry and everybody will leave us alone. THAT'S what Ron Paul stands for. Being a gutless, selfish coward.

  • they rebeled because of taxation without representation. not just high taxes. we have representation and to say the governemtn is listening to the people is silly. we elected the democrats to brign change twice. THE gop represents teh status quo and wants to bring tyranny by inlicting their own moral code on the rest of society. they tortured, they wiretapped if the teap party wanted to be taken seriosu they missed their oportunity 4 years ago. we need to challenge the status quo always

  • So again, using 1776 to say that the Patriots were liberals because they wanted to change the status quo and the loyalists were conservative because they wanted to work with the British crown is hardly accurate. I mean, what spurred on this independence but high taxes, and a desire to breakaway from the powerful governing body that didn’t want to listen to them. That sounds more like republicanism to libertarianism to me than Obama’s Democratic Party.

  • @Sleepensheep i agree completely

  • Republicans/conservatives today hardly want to keep things as they are. They are just as progressive as the liberal/democrats, they simply want to progress the country in a slightly different direction: morality, small government, etc. etc.

  • @Sleepensheep Just because conservatives want to move from the status quo doesn't mean they are progressive. Wanting to go back to where we were in the past is a regressive not progressive desire. Also it wasn't just that they didn't want to pay taxes... they didn't want to pay taxes and not be represented. No one these days isn't represent except for perhaps people in territories such as Puerto Rico and Washington DC. It absolutely was liberalism.

  • Most men with nothing would rather protect the posibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.

    SOOOOOOO true

  • Is it just me or does the actor portaying John Dickinson sound and look like Phil Hartman? Great song from a great musical either way!

  • The official, non-partisan definition of "Conservative" is to resist change and preserve the status quo, that is, things as they are, or to reverse progress. A liberal is someone who advocates change. In that sense, these men are most definitely Conservative, and Adams and the others are certainly liberal.

  • @WillScarlet16 i think ur thinking of reactionary instead of conservative

  • @ddm584 Reactionary is the furthest end of conservatism, as radical is the furthest end of liberal.

  • @WillScarlet16 well the ones in this vid would be considered reactionary today

    the other founding fathers would be "classical" liberals not liberals as we mean them today also how would john adams be a liberal if we went by modern day interpretation since he was tough on foreign policy and possible the most religious founding father

  • @ddm584 I'm afraid you're still thinking of "Liberal" and "Conservative" in terms of Republicans vs. Democrats. In those arbitrary terms he would be 'conservative.' But he was a strong advocate for an extreme change to the system that came before, and in that sense he is liberal, maybe even radical.

  • @WillScarlet16 adams was a classical liberal but not a liberal as people nowadays interpret the word, and even still if u compare the american revolution and people like adams with the french revolution and people like robespiere the american revolution was very moderte and hardly radical unlike the french revolution. therefore adams would only be a classical or moderate liberal of his time and a conservative of this time

  • I think it's a mistake to use the musical 1776 as some guide to the true history. It's great and pretty accurate, but don't use a Broadway musical as your source of historical fact. Also, it's a sickness of the modern age to want to put everything from the past into today's conservative/liberal boxes.

  • Let’s not forget that those men singing that song were revolutionaries. Also, looking at today's politics and the stench of professional politicians, it's those that hold strongly to the political status quo that are the cool considerate men. The people eager to change, the Libertarians, are the far more revolutionary of the modern bunch of professional politicians.

  • @Sleepensheep Well said. The politics of 1776 are greatly different from 2010 and the terms "conservative" and "liberal" have different meanings. For one thing, Thomas Jefferson (whom many would tout as a liberal), was also a strong proponent of states rights and would probably not approve of the federalism our system developed after the civil war.

  • I'm aware of the controversy over the political angle to this song, and of the story that Nixon asked for it to be cut from the musical. But I have another reason it should be cut: "1776" is a good play/movie, but has a couple of flaws. In its un-cut version, it's too long. And the music is mediocre. Cutting this song helps both problems.

  • This is one of those really good 'villain songs' in musicals. It's so powerful, especially after the 'that is why they will dance with us!' part, ohh!

  • There were 3 major changes after the revolution...freedom of religion, no monarchy and self government. The Eastern states were in an amazing position as they had the wealth and language, schools and technology of being British citizens. The tyranny began after the revolution when the USA continued slavery long after most of Northern Europe and ethnically cleansed native Americans, Mexicans, Hawaiins and Phillipinos from their land.

  • @warriorprince1010

    AND no aristocracy. JUST as important.