Let's All Hold Hands

Let's all get together.
Let's sing a song.
Let's listen to the preacher
Tell us right from wrong.
Let's all get together.
Let's all shake hands.
I will tell you that I love you
But don't make demands.
Let's all hold hands.
That's what the man said.
Let's all hold hands
Looking solemn as the dead.
Let's all hold hands
Until the monologue ends.
Let's all hold hands
And pretend we're friends.
Let's all get together
Over here and over there.
Behind invisible walls
In the room we share.
Let's all get together
And go our separate ways.
Let's all get together
In another seven days.
Let's all hold hands.
That's what the man said.
Let's all hold hands
Looking solemn as the dead.
Let's all hold hands
Until the monologue ends.
Let's all hold hands
And pretend we're friends.
Let's all get together.
Did somebody sneeze?
Let's all get together
And spread the disease.
We're so glad that you could join us.
If you stay here long.
One of us may take you in
And you can learn our song.
Let's all get together
But not too near.
Under synthetic fragrances
We hide the smell of fear.
Let's all hold hands.
That's what the man said.
Let's all hold hands
Looking solemn as the dead.
Let's all hold hands
Until the monologue ends.
Let's all hold hands
And pretend we're friends.

© 2001 Larry Thacker Jr.

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Background

As with several of the things I've written, this was supposed to be set to music.  I've never learned to write music, so the tune is just in my head.  It was meant to go to a driving dance beet with a sort of synthesized electric guitar oo ow accompaniment.  The theme came to me as I was standing in a church service "holding hands" during a typically overlong prayer.  Even though many good things had happened at that church, things were changing.  At that moment it just all seemed so contrived.  So, I wrote about how we use our learned richuals and social conventions to hide what we really are.