Barry McGuire: Eve of Destruction

My husband has XM radio in his car. I don't drive it much, but when I do I listen to a lot of 60's music. Maybe it is because I grew up in that era, but I love the spirit of the songs, the values of the people then. We didn't settle for the status quo. We fought.

Today, I heard Barry McGuire's Eve Of Destruction and I thought about the shape of our school system and decided to change the lyrics to some of my own. I hope he doesn't mind.

The Education world, it is explodin',
Ignorance flarin', politicians gloatin'.
You're old enough to college, but not for knowin',
You don't believe in studyin' -- but what's that machine you're totin'?
An' even the honor program has knowledge lackin'.
But you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say,
An' can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
Blame the teacher, there is no other way,
Nothing will help, not even merit pay.
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy.
An' you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Yeak, my blood's so mad feels like coagulatin',
I'm sittin' here just contemplatin'.
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation,
Handful of billionares don't end our frustration,
An' closin' schools alone can't end the situation
When human intellect is disintegratin',
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'.
An' you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the knowledge that is missing in our city,
Then take a look around you ain't it a pity.
Ah, you may leave here for four days in space,
But when you return it's the same ol' place,
The books unread, the unused brain a disgrace.
You can use your calculator, but don't leave a trace.
Make goals for every student, but don't don't do it in haste,
An' tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction,
No, no, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Our graduation rate is growin',
Populations not knowin'
The skills needed are lackin'
Feels like we've been slackin'
An' can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
Blame the teacher, there is no other way,
Nothing will help, not even merit pay.
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy.
An' you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.
Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, boy.
An' you tell me, over and over and over again, my friend,
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

(And the stuff I should be doing keeps piling up higher.)