Straighten Up And Fly Right

A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air
The monkey thought that everything was on the square
The buzzard tried to throw the monkey off of his back
The monkey grabbed his neck and said "Now listen, Jack!"

"Straighten up and fly right"
"Straighten up and fly right"
"Straighten up and fly right"
"Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top."

"Ain't no use in divin' "
"What's the use of jivin'?"
"Straighten up and fly right"
"Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top."

The buzzard told the monkey "You are chokin' me"
"Release your hold and I will set you free"
The monkey looked the buzzard right dead in the eye and said:
"Your story's so touching but it sounds just like a lie"

"Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top."

(Instrumental Interlude)

"Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top."

"Fly right!"
I heard this old Nat King Cole song the other day and it reminded me of the relationship between the U.S. government and the U.S. citizens. The part of the government is characteristically embodied in the buzzard and the citizens in the monkey. One can only hope that the citizens will have the same nerve and will to survive to grab the government in a strangle hold, like the monkey on the buzzard, to get control of the beast which would devour us.