"The Sing-Along Second Amendment" by Roy Zimmerman
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- Опубліковано 18 кві 2009
- words and music by Roy Zimmerman
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This video was shot at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA at a "Mark Pitta and Friends" comedy night. Thanks to Mark, Lucy Mercer, Edwin D'Shazo and Tim Stone. - Комедії
Purely from a musician's point of view, I'm highly amused and impressed by the way you use the timing to guarantee that the audience stumbles when you want them to. Well played! :-)
Yass
13 years later and still one of my go to songs for a good laugh and appreciation.
Roy's songs are always so hilarious and clever, but when you look past the satire you start to see that he is also a very talented musician :)
And, has a melodious voice that is thoroughly entertaining. Thanks Roy!
"See how well that columbines?" - saved the video. 5 stars.
Brilliant, as usual, Roy.
YOu're great. Love your songs, your banter, your guitar playing.. Yay!!!
"What good are the first amendment rights...if you can't keep a magnum in the night stand?"
I -always- make sure I have a magnum in the nightstand. Never want to be caught without it - no one likes that drive to get another box.
i saw this live a couple days ago and I am glad that we weren't the only people who sucked at singing along. but it works out for him.
Everytime I read this in my textbook I always think of this song and have to contain my laughter.
It saddens me when songs like this continue to be relevant. The first time I watched this video as a Swedish 12-13 year old it went right over my head(being old enough to understand "Creation Science 101" and parts of "Defenders of Marriage" but not much else of your material). Every time I come back to it it gives me something new. And in this case, makes me very sad.
It's an exceedingly clever song, so it may go right over the heads of folks in this area. XD
To my shame, I've just discovered you -- but I'll atone! Wish this weren't so heart-achingly relevant in August 2019, when "Judge" Scalia has long since departed for that Big Shooting Range in the sky. . .
most americans probably wouldn't understand it either which is pretty depressing
It's hard to understand if you don't know much about the us constitution or recent supreme court cases.
Great , ...More Please...
"It's the most important amendment; that's why it's second" Too great
The point made at the end... just great.
That's how all comedy should be.
Roy, you're an amazing showman. Your ability to anticipate (and control) how the audience will react is amazing. And your wit is a weapon I would never like to come afoul.
yet another fantastic song/video - thanks for posting it.
This is almost too much fantastic to handle at 12:40AM. Thanks, Roy.
The end is great and could not have been better expressed then with your silence. i actually used this video to teach my daughters the 2nd and also some of the controversies associated with it.
Just brilliant.
Great man, that Roy Zimmerman is.
I just discovered you and you are amazing! I've saved every song! put this on apple music!
Love the grin at the start! 😀
The National Guard includes both federal and state structures. The governor of each state is Commander-in-Chief for the National Guard units attached to that state. The governor can call National Guard troops to action.
Yes, but what does this have to do with the right to keep and bear arms?
Roy is alternating between D and G in this song. He uses a capo at the second fret, and uses the chord shapes C and F. And an E Minor and you've got "Walk on the Wild Side."
The most consice, well thought out, unrefutable point I have read on the internet in a LONG LONG time. Thank you!!!
Political satire is still alive!
Excellent interpretation.
Thank you Truthiness231, graciousness is fairly rare around here.
"guns haven't the purpose they once did, but then only outlaws would have guns... "
It's interesting to note that the "only outlaws would have guns" argument goes back at least as far as 1753.
Nice talking with you,
Donn
@GoodAvatar
"Even if that wasn't true, it's more important to be free than it is to be safe."
Yep, nothing is more freeing then death.
Love the goofy grin to start the song before asking people to sing along
Excellent video, I laughed a lot. I envy you, Roy, you can tell that you're having a lot of fun with this.
The whole song is a brilliant metaphor.
I love the history added to this.
Awesome, Roy! You cracked me up with the ending, and that stunned silence is such a perfect statement. :-)
Good for you, Roy.
You're too brilliant for the timing of this post to be unintentional!
I have just fallen in love with this man. He is so damn cute and sweet and smart.
The UN correctly pointed out that the homicide rates in the us can be misleading because defensive homicide is very very high in the us (you see unlike england here people can defend themselves intead of waiting 30 min for the police to come and find a body),so when you say "homicide rate" you're also taking into account the rapist that got shot by an armed victim which is homicide yes,but defensive (in the UK she would have been prosecuted for murder, and possession of a firearm, too bad ^^)
It is now 10 years after you first published this song here on UA-cam. It is more relevant than ever, sadly. One of my favorites - because of what the punch line so eloquently says by saying nothing at all...
As Thomas Paine said, open discussion and criticism should be used in any and every form possible until they are no longer allowed. At that point, when the only remaining answer is a revolution, should the people exercise their right to do so. It is a last resort, and laws should be obeyed so long as there are civil ways to criticize and remove them. However, at no point should we ever be deprived the right to revolt should all civil avenues at some point be closed.
Actually the National Guard is run by the states in normal times. Normally they are under the command of the state governor. However, they can be "federalized" in times of war or emergency, in which case their command changes to the federal government. This is in contrast to the State Defense Forces, which are also militias run by the states, but in contrast to the National Guard, State Defense Forces cannot be federalized.
@thenoobcannon I agree with the first part of your statement, but with one qualification: If protects citizens' right to own guns WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF a well-regulated militia. Some NRA-types like to claim that as part of the "unorganized militia" they are protected, but that is not "well-regulated militia." As to the National Guard, they are indeed militia, both by legislation and by definition of "militia."
@Theroha If it was meant to create two separate rights, why wasn't it made into two sentences? The structure of the sentence indicates that the first half provides the context for the second.
He’s bright! Very Bright!
@sisgaia It specifically states the "right of the people" not the right of a militia; the militia clause in the 2nd Amendment exists to differentiate the rights of individuals w/ the existence of a militia. The right of a militia to assemble is already established in article 1 section 8 clause 16 of the constitution. The first 10 Amendments pertain only to individual rights. Do you think the framers separated the militia clause & the right of the people w/ a comma to catch their breath?
It depends, would Scalia be interpreting which is the subordinate and which is the operative clause? Also, as militia service was mandatory in every state except Pennsylvania at the time the Second Amendment was ratified for your analogy to work we would have to have mandatory voter registration. Then the question would be 'are only books used for a voter to educate themselves about politics protected?'
no it isn't talking about any federal program, including defense. It's talking about militias, groups of people... essentially volunteers trained in many fields including police work, firefighter work, and military work who, in an emergency can be called on to aid the government. It's a non government government program.
Now thats an idea! Roy and Jon on the same sound stage....
This guy is so brilliant. 3 times tom Tom Lear! Is that how you spell his name? Have to google him. Anyway, Roy Zimmerman has no rivals. What an amazing talent!!!!
Europe shrugs and moves on to another of Roy's songs I can relate to.. this is just weird.
This is a reply to your post that says "Every gun bought illegally was at one point bought legally, so if you stop legal purchase then the amount of firearms eventually dissipates after already existing guns are damaged or broken." I have a good friend who makes parts on lathes and dril press and such for a living. He has made an MP-5 SMG out of scrap aluminum and a steel rod. He reloads his own ammo too.
We two attorneys approve of your song. It's funny!
Reminiscent of Constitutional Law I & II.
It's not my analogy it's Levy's. I just thought it was interesting. Having said that I should say that I find the language of the 2nd amendment very clear.
It has been interpreted through most of American History to apply to individuals.
The commentaries of those who wrote and ratified the Bill of Rights make that very clear.
I'd love to discuss this more but I'm heading out of town, next week perhaps ?
Donn
(I keep running out of space!)
Roy, I'm sure you are not deterred by naysayers but nothing should ever stop you, or anyone, from speaking out against anything and everything that you think needs to be questioned.
Roy, as usual I love your song!
"The comma after the word state subdivides the text into two clauses. The preparatory and the operative that renders the preparatory clause subordinate." As a linguist, that was my favorite part.
All 2nd Amendment arguments aside, this song is brilliant.
Bright performer
as a former Marine I value the right to own forearms to defend myself, I won't bother to argue the reason for the 2nd amendment because this is a set of facts that seem to fall on deaf ears. I will give you this; in the modern era there is a need for better regulation, registration, and safety training.
Great thing is this song has helped me Rememeber the full 2nd amendment for the last 10 years
genius, masterfull.
Here's what I was taught in my PoliSci class: 1st half of the Amendment essentially establishes the national guard. The 2nd half sets up the rights of citizens to own weapons in case we find ourselves in the situation were we have to fight another war on our own soil or go hunting whatever you need to do. Just don't be stupid and try to start a war because Sarah Palin or Rick Perry said it was a good idea.
LOVE it!
Subscribed! ;)
GO ROY! GO!
@RebelWrestler45 Consider: The bridge being rather treacherous, cars will not be permitted to cross. Does the comma "differentiate" between the bridge and cars? No. The comma separates the two clauses while maintaining an implicit relationship between them: Because the bridge is treacherous, cars will not be permitted to cross would say the same explicitly. The first clause provides the context for the second.
@Shaitan051 nope. I just wanted to know if you were a reenactor or if you were an actual volunteer militia force.
@slightlyoutofreach01 I had my home burglarized three times when I was not home. Had I owned guns, they would now be in the hands of criminals. That's how criminals get guns.
As to your argument that "If someone isn't worried about breaking the law banning murder....": Most homicides are not premeditated. If the killers had to go through the trouble of finding a source for an illegal gun, most of these deaths would likely not occur.
This song and Chickenhawk are tied for my favorite of Roy's stuff.
Awesome ... especially with the gun jokes!
"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
- Thomas Jefferson
What do I win if I got it perfectly right when the music ended?
Wow, it took me a few views to really notice everything that's in there. It's so well crafted. Even the final applause sounds like gunshots...
Can we all stop arguing over the second amendment as though it was the core of the issue? The US Constitution isn't some Holy Book, it's a result of and testament to the rule of reason.
Besides, we otherwise pretty much stopped giving more than lip service to it decades ago. The constitution or rule of reason.
Roy Zimmerman is the greatest political humorist just outside the Daily Show. It is a shame that he seems so... underground. We need sharp and witty satirists out on the front of political spectrum to show what patriotism and humor really is.
@zafoquat The "well regulated militia" part is the justification of the right to bear arms. The intention of the second amendment is to allow people to have conditioning and experience with the use of weapons (not necessarily just firearms) in the event that their own rights or the sovereignty of their local, state or national governments are at stake. That experience is gained at the range and in sport.
It says "keep and bare arms" which means the people actually own and use them.
This song sounds nice to become a modern-day folk song.
Governments write constitutions. Constitutions grant rights.
Some rights come free with being a human, such as a right not to have harm done to oneself for no reason. Some rights, such as the right to carry firearms, are in fact privileges.
The idea that everyday people exist separate from the government would honestly make the founding fathers furious. The idea that as citizens we cannot change things without the government is why there is no change the government doesn't allow. It the mentality that you expressed in your statement that is the cause for the problems you see in the government.
@slightlyoutofreach01 Yes, you can always tell what is meant by reading half a quote. Read the full amendment, then read Federalist 29
So your claim is that something in the Bill of Rights is actually a privilege contingent on membership in a militia?
No, you can be arrested for carrying around an offensive weapon. We don't have the philosophy that you should carry a weapon "just in case" - in the eyes of most Britons, if someone has an offensive weapon on them then they probably intended to use it, hence the police arrest them before they do. You won't get arrested for carrying tools or "a big stick" unless the police have good reason to suspect you are up to something.
Could someone explain the end to me please?
Each time I hear this, and blow the lyrics, I realize that one division in America is "first amendment people (People?)" and "second amendment people/People." And crazy loners at the soundboard. Techs rule.
Roy, will you teach the USofA ALL the Ammendments? Maybe the Constitution too?
Brilliant.
@RebelWrestler45 How do you conclude that the mention of militia in the Second Amendment is there "to distinguish the right of the people to keep and bear arms independent of the context of militia?" I suppose the mention of speech in the First Amendment is to protect the sense of smell? If they wanted to provide protection for the purposes you describe, they certainly could have said so, or even hinted at it. They didn't. They only mentioned militia.
I love that an ad popped up for "firearms training."
@Beatlefanone Indeed. Best wishes to you, and good night.
@slightlyoutofreach01 I didn't "dodge the point." I addressed it: Cities cannot have enforceable gun laws for the simple reason that they do not have checkpoints of people coming in & out of the city. The cities with strict gun laws had high crime rates before their gun laws -- that's why they passed them.
@Theroha The national guard (what used to be the militia) is already established in the Constitution itself; the first clause of the second amendment of the Bill of Rights references the militia, to distinguish the right of the people to keep and bear arms independent of the context of "militia". What it really comes down to is the inalienable natural right to defend one's own life, liberty, and property; if you take away the means by which to exercise said right, you take it away alltogether
Hooray, a youtuber who knows what a representative democracy is!
I've been moving towards the "guns in homes for protection" position during these discussions, as well as "guns on person for protection" idea.
But I still don't think there is any inherent "right" to carry guns or to shoot trespassers. Just as I think that a society with no guns is safer than one where everyone has a gun.
Sounds good. I'll take the first royalty check in the form of a free shirt, and from there on in I guess cold, hard cash will have to do.
I wanna learn guitar just so I can sing this at Open MIC Night. XD It's just two chords, D-major and G-major (inverted), right? Been a long time since my music theory class. That's called a capo, right? See, I need lessons. Having grown up in a gun culture, I understand both sides of the argument and don't understand why we can't have this conversation. :(
@zafoquat The preamble to the 2nd Amendment is dependent on the operative clause "the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear arms." This right is not dependent on participation in a militia. But the militia is dependent on the people being armed as a whole. It doesn't state "the right of the STATES to keep and bear arms." As in a state run armory housing militia weapons. To keep and bear arms means to own and posses as on one's private property or safely in public. Hope this clears things up.
Suppose the Second amendment said "A well-educated electorate being necessary for self-governance in a free state, the right of the people to keep and read books shall not be infringed." Is there anyone who would suggest that means only registered voters have a right to read? Robert Levy, Georgetown University professor
To drive that point home even more, suppose it said "A well informed Congress, being necessary to the wise operation of government, the right of the people to own and read books, shall not be infringed." Do all of the people have the right or only those few in Congress?
More yet: "A well informed President, being necessary to the proper operation of the executive branch, the right of the people to own and read books, shall not be infringed."
Does only the President have the right?
I swear, people like the poster of this video have poor reading comprehension skills.
If you bother to read it, you'll be able to see the sources used, and the reasoning for the statements made. Then you'll be able to critically assess it, rather than making an assumption about its authority.
Or you can choose to ignore it. Up to you, really.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."
- Thomas Jefferson
"The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
- Thomas Jefferson
pure win!
@Malasar Glad I could amuse. As long as the message is imparted, I'm happy to use word choice that defies expectations.
What good is it if it's kept in a nightstand but you wake up to someone
standing over your bed? Better to buy an alarm for the house and use it.
:)
This song made me happy.
"Bang Bang!", said the little gun. 🔫 David Heller used to live near me in DC.
@forgiste The 2nd refers to "well regulated militia", which is not "the people" as you suggest. Read Federalist 29 to understand why the amendment and what such militia looks like. The National Guard is the best example today. And the amendment was never interpreted by the Supreme Court as an individual right until conservative judicial activists did so just 10 years ago, ignoring the entire history of judicial decisions.
My original comment was about the argument over the language of the second amendment. I was trying to point out that the interpretation of the language didn't hold up when applied to other things.
The second amendment has nothing to do with hunting.
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.-Thomas Jefferson
@hugesinker THANK YOU! Good God, you'd think that more people would understand it's all about making a government too nervous to try a dictatorship. The reason that so many people are confused about this is because the issue has been very purposefully obfuscated and re-directed. Then there's the whining about the wording as though it was actually confusing.
...Okay.
That was a good one.
I'm not even American, but I know know the entirety of the second amendment of the US constitution off by heart. I'm sure it'll come in handy some time.