The Wall Street Song

LYRICS

Enough of Your Auld Caterwaulinʼ

By Robert Culleton and Steven Fitzgerald
©2009

[To be sung in walz time]

1. Oh, the Greenfields of Wall Street were bloominʼ
Unawares that a reckʼninʼ was loominʼ.
What with CDOʼs* flowinʼ and bonuses growinʻ
And bankers a-selling the bait
ʻTil September of 2008.

Chorus:

Oh, the price of me shares keeps a-fallinʼ
And the Mountains of Debt are a-callinʼ,
So, you still do aspire next year to retire?
Enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!*

*Collateralized Debt Obligations
*to howl like a cat in heat; disquietude

2. Now, me bankerʼs a young man named Clarence,
Who is totally lacking forbearance.*
Thoʼ me job is in tatters, says Clarence, No matter.
You still owe your mortgage on time!
At the pubs, the lads call me Subprime.

* a virtue; also an agreement to forestall loan default

Chorus:

Oh, the price of me house keeps a-fallinʼ
And the Mountains of Debt are a-callinʼ,
On your bike show some torque as youʼre lookinʼ for work!
Thereʼs enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!

3. Now, I live on the streets of Kilkarnage
Since me credit is totally garbage.
Iʼm ashamed, truth be told, in a tent to grow auld,
While me bankerʼs a-livinʼ so fine.
Surely, Clarence will do some hard time!

Chorus:

Oh, the worth of me custom* keeps fallinʼ
And the Mountains of Debt are a-callinʼ,
Think theyʼll catch him one day and the courts make him pay?
Thereʼs enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!

*purchasing power


4. Past me pup tent comes Clarence a-strollinʼ.
In hard cash he appears to be rollinʼ.
Thoʼ all credit has seized
Still, young Clarence looks pleased
Livinʼ debt free high up on the dole-
And the taxpayers down in a hole!

Chorus:

Oh, the worth of me life keeps a-fallinʼ
And the Mountains of Debt are a-callinʼ,
So, just shovel your cash up his debt-derived* asset!
Enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!

*a so-called derivative.

5. As Insurers go AIG was tops
ʻTill it oversold credit default swaps.
When me mortgage went toxic
It screwed up their logic.
Collateral damages spread!
International bankinʼ went dead!

Chorus:

Oh, me rates of return keep a-fallinʼ
And securitized debts are a-callinʼ
For a fee shed your risk. AIG fails, tisk, tisk.
Thatʼs enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!

6. To be sure theyʼre the curse of the nations,
These collateralized debt obligations.
So what is the cure for this afflicted world?
The answerʼs disturbinʼly vague.
Theyʼre the best things since bubonic plague!

Chorus:

Now the bank statementʼs lookinʼ appallinʼ
And the Mountains of Debt are a-callinʼ
Best see Clarence today.
But, Iʼm sure he would say,
Enough of your auld caterwaulinʼ!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Auld Caterwaulin'

[rizz917]

You should go record this in a studio, there's a lot of potential for a song like this in such a horrible economy, you might end up hearing yourself on any given news station. I'm serious, it's perfect!

[robanthi1]

Miawren7,

Enough of your auld Caterwaulin' !

[mlawren7]

Learn to trade the Dow and S&P and stop whining you pathetic banjo-strumming fuck!

[mlawren7]

Holy shit what an awful song... this is why the folk movement will never get ahead.

[malador1952]

@robanthi1 Obama may be YOUR president, to me he is the Kenyan who should be deported (at the very least).

[groundinghubris]

what vision. did you realize when you wrote this that in 2 yrs Wall Street would be occupied??? to good not to share. thank you

[bobbyopolis]

this is great !