Henry's Songbook

Chorus:
From Alaska down to Panama, Hawaii to New York
Ten people out of nine agree it's better in the dark

Come people pay attention, listen to my song
There's only ninety verses, I'll not detain you long
How Uncle Sam he blew a fuse which caused the lights to fail
And plunged the nation into gloom, come listen to my tale

John Citizen came home from work like any other night
Found his house in semi-darkness, his wife all in a fright
John, John, the power's gone, the TV's up the spout
But John just pulled his trousers down and blew the candle out

When things go wrong, this proves to all the world - if proof were wanted
Mankind reverts to type, carries on undaunted
As they lay there struggling and breathless on the floor
She murmured, John, how come we never thought of this before

But nine long months have passed and gone and there's a bill to pay
Doctor Kildare and all his men are working night and day
Love, they say, is a costly game and must be properly planned
But a packet of three is hard to see when darkness rules the land

John Citizen has changed his ways, he's joining in the fight
For longer darker power cuts, he wants them every night
He won't go off to war, he has a better plan instead
For out of darkness comes the light, he'd rather go back to bed

As sung by Hamish Imlach

 [1976:] Wohl das erste der 'make-love-not-war'-Lieder. Anlaß war ein Stromausfall während der 60er Jahre, der New York und große Teile der Ostküste der USA bis zu drei Tagen und Nächten ohne Fernsehen und Licht ließ. Neun Monate später stellte man fest, daß in einigen Gegenden die Geburtenrate stark angestiegen war. (Notes Hamish Imlach, 'Scottish Sabbath')

 [2001:] Im November 1965 fiel in ganz New York der Strom aus für 14 Stunden. 800 000 Menschen wurden in U-Bahnen und Fahrstühlen eingeschlossen, die Zahl der Diebstähle ging drastisch zurück (ganz ohne Licht ist es offenbar selbst Dieben nicht geheuer), und neun Monate später erfuhr die Welt, dass Finsternis und tote Fernsehschirme die Zeugungsfreude steigern. (Wolf Schneider, Die Gruner-und-Jahr-Story 15)