Compared To What

The song was recorded in 1969 by pianist Les McCann and saxophonist Eddie Harris for their album, Swiss Movement, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival.




I love the lie and lie the love
A-Hangin' on, with push and shove
Possession is the motivation
that is hangin' up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
Tryin' to make it real — compared to what? C'mon baby!

Slaughterhouse is killin' hogs
Twisted children killin' frogs
Poor dumb rednecks rollin' logs
Tired old lady kissin' dogs
I hate the human love of that stinking mutt (I can't use it!)
Try to make it real — compared to what? C'mon baby now!

The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one nut. God damn it!
Tryin' to make it real — compared to what? (Sock it to me)

Church on Sunday, sleep and nod
Tryin' to duck the wrath of God
Preacher's fillin' us with fright
They all tryin' to teach us what they think is right
They really got to be some kind of nut (I can't use it!)
Tryin' to make it real — compared to what?

Where's that bee and where's that honey?
Where's my God and where's my money?
Unreal values, crass distortion
Unwed mothers need abortion
Kind of brings to mind ol' young King Tut (He did it now)
Tried to make it real — compared to what?!

(Music break)

Tryin' to make it real — compared to what?

(spoken)
Donald Dean, Leroy Vinnegar, Benny Bailey, Eddie Harris

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  Music

[Donald Robinson]

loved this tune the first time I heard it many years ago. I think All the players are now dead, are they not?

[Peter Menard]

Les is still around. Not sure about the others though. I think they are all gone.

[chichilala99]

Les IS around (a friend of mine and we recorded on my CD. Donald Dean the drummer is still drumming!!!

[Peter Menard]

Thanks very much for the news chichilala99. That is great to hear.

[searchlight18]

Can I please tell you the story of this song in my life? When I was 15,my brother's best friend was home from Viet Nam.I rode with him to the Oakland Army terminal,Oakland,California.He had to see his commanding officer,so

he dropped me off at his brother's house in Oakland. His older brother played Jazz records for me for like 8 hours.This song was his favorite. When I was leaving,he gave me this album to keep. I played it throughout my life.I now have it on CD.

[Johnny makendry]

Ces't la Vie

[tmacart]

Way cool!

[searchlight18]

6:00 and after says it all.Great, and they knew it

[John Mills]

This song goes back some 44 years during a war that I just happened to be in. Perhaps history does not repeat itself, it just rhymes and this song is as important today as it was back then!!

[John DiPietro]

I play this, have to stop doing whatever, close my eyes and just listen.

[patsyquinn10]

I loved this song the first time I heard it. I play it often.

[lockwoodisafaggot]

Gene McDaniels was just some square crooner. Then he fucking wrote this ............

[JourneyHome]

Jesus thats f'kin beautiful.........

[Dave Jones]

Did you all know the applause in the middle of the song was for Ella Fitzgerald walking to her seat late? She later personally told the guys she felt terrible about disturbing their song.

[Dave Jones]

Les is alive and living in Germany. He's had a few strokes, but he is doing okay. I love this song(great cowbell too).