07 November 2006

Struck down that restrictive rule...

I get emotional on voting day. I think of this song from Schoolhouse Rock from my childhood and I think no one has the right to complain if they don't vote. And don't get me started about women who don't vote. Our female ancestors were not allowed to vote. Not allowed! Here are the lyrics and a snippet of the song at the link. And please vote.
http://www.school-house-rock.com/Suff.html

SUFFERIN' TILL SUFFRAGE
Music: Bob Dorough
Lyrics: Tom Yohe
Sung by: Essra Mohawk
>> Yeah!... Hurray!

Now you have heard
Of women's rights
And how we've tried
To reach new heights
If we're all created equal,
That's us too.

>> Yeah!

But you will proba-
Bly not recall...
That it's not been
Too long at all,
Since we even had the right to
Cast a vote.

>> Well...

Well sure some men
Bowed down and called us misses, >> Yeah!
Let us hang the wash out,
And wash the dishes, >> Huh...
But when the time rolled around
To elect a president
What did they say, sisters?

>> What did they say?

They said, uh, see you later,
Alligator, and don't forget my, my...
My mashed potatoes,
Because I'm going downtown to
Cast my vote for president.

But we were sufferin',
Until suffrage, >> Whoah...
Not a woman here could vote
No matter what age.
Then the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Oh yeah!

Now we pull down
On the lever
Cast our ballots,
And we endeavor
To improve our country,
State, county, town and school.

>> Tell 'em bout it!

Those pilgrim women who
Who braved the boat
>> They cook, cook, cooked!
Could cook the turkey, but they,
They could not vote
Even Betsy Ross who sewed the flag
Was left behind that first election day.

>> What a shame, sisters!

Then Susan B.
Anthony >> Yeah!
and Julia Howe, >> Lucretia!
Lucretia March, >> And others!
They showed us how,
They carried signs
And marched in lines
Until at long last
The law was passed.

Oh we were sufferin',
Until suffrage,
Not a woman here could vote
No matter what age.
Then the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Oh yeah!

And now we pull down
On the lever
Cast our ballots,
And we endeavor
To improve our country,
State, county, town and school.

Yes the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.
Yes the 19th Amendment
Struck down that restrictive rule.

>> Yeah, yeah!

(We've got 'em now!)
Since 1920, Sisters Unite! Oh lord!

9 comments:

Margaret said...

My favorite School House Rock song was about that Bill sitting on Capital Hill... Thanks for sticking the song in my head

paintergirl said...

My favorite was always about adjectives. "he was a hairy bear, he was a scary bear..."
We have the dvd, and I made my son watch all the ones about our country and I was getting teary.Uggg.

Anonymous said...

I need to get these on DVD if only so I can watch for memories sake. I remember the voting one!! Thank you for sharing the lyrics.

paintergirl said...

It's so great to see these. I can still sing the Preamble today because of Schoolhouse. What a brilliant idea that was to show these between cartoons. "and the pursuit of happiness..."

Anonymous said...

I love the constitution one...
'the constitu-tion,
of the United States of
Ameri-caaaaa'...

JC said...

You'll be happy to know I voted. Even though I'm not a sistah. I think everyone should!

paintergirl said...

Kiki-you'll be happy to know it's ben a schoolhouse day. I can't stop singing, interpalnet janet she's a galaxy girl...

jc-amen brother. (not in a churchie way, just agreeing)
I think I get upset about women not voting because it hasn't been that long since we've been allowed. I'm so happy with the turnout and the results. (Not Connecticut-Maryb I'm looking in your direction.)

mary bishop said...

I'm always surprised by people who don't know that black men had the right to vote before white women.

Women were way down on the list of who should get the right to vote and I'm with you on being slightly pissed at women who don't bother to vote.

paintergirl said...

Mary-I know, it really gets me going when women don't vote. Apparently they did this time, and I am pleased.


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