The other day, Elijah sang on the couch.

"Herky met the government," the song went. "Herc Herc Herc ba-aw!"

"What is that?" Regina said.

"Let's ask him," I said.

So I did.

"Elijah," I said. "What inspired those lyrics?"

"Daddy!" he said. "You're silly! It was a song that you sang for me yesterday in the car!"

"What?" Regina said.

But I knew.

"Elijah," I said. "Do you mean the song that goes Johnny's in the basement mixin' up the medicine/I'm on the pavement, thinkin' 'bout the government? "

"Uh-huh," he said.

"Looks like somebody's ready for some Dylan," said Regina.

So the next day when Elijah came home from school, I had Subterranean Homesick Blues downloaded and on the IPod. We danced around the living room; the song is short enough so Elijah didn't get bored. Sadly, I was reminded of a Family Ties episode where the ex-hippie NPR parents play a Dylan record for their straightlaced kids. This was somewhat similar. But, as opposed to little Jennifer Keaton as played by the incomporable Tina Yothers, Elijah actually liked the Dylan. He found the lyrics interesting.

"Daddy," he asked me. "What's the government?"

"It's who runs the country," I said.

"The Bush Man runs the country, and he's evil," said Elijah.

"True," I said. "And he's made the government evil."

"Neal," said Regina. "We can't teach Elijah to be scared of the government."

"Oh, no," I said. "That would be totally unreasonable."

Elijah hasn't asked for the song again, but I do catch him singing his own lyrics several times a day. He's on the sofa singin' 'bout the government. I'm in my office mixin' up the medicine...

Posted by at 1:54 PM | Permalink