Mini Uprising Friday Night September 26 Engelwood NJ During Last Robert Cray Song: This Man! (GET HIM OUT!)
I am not a music critic so I am not going to go deep on Robert Cray’s amazing performance at Bergen County Performing Arts Center in Engelwood NJ on Friday night, September 26. I love blues music and Robert Cray can croon the blues – like no other. I want to focus though on his second encore and final performance of this amazing song called This Man! Guess who it’s about!
With the Ostinato this song first and foremost puts us in mind of moving our feet – maybe even IN THE STREET! Ostinato can be a powerful mood elevator for body movement and synchronization and the long haul.
Boop Booba Boot Doot
Boop Boota Boot Dah!
Who is this man in our house?
Who is this man? Better get him out
We′ve got a problem, he’s gotta go
He don′t leave
Can’t live here no more
If we wanna save our home
We need to get him out
I was not familiar with the song but it was not too hard to figure out who he was talking about. Much of the audience was already standing. In the most recent year I have started standing for part of shows and dancing – I used to feel subconscious about it but not any more – who really cares if I look like a fool if the body movement makes me enjoy the show some more. I had already been standing and bopping around half the show.
Robert Cray encouraged audience participation throughout the show and he got it clearly on this song. I and others started joining in the chorus. I also added a shout of NOW! after his “We need to get him out”!
So when he said Get Him Out! I punctuated NOW!
When he said: Get him out, get him out, get him out! I said NOW! NOW! NOW!
Several in the audience had their fists thrust into the air and the joy and cathartic release of tension as most of the audience spontaneously united in glee !
GET HIM OUT GET HIM OUT GET HIM OUT!
Me shouting: GET HIM OUT NOW!
As he finished the whole audience was extra enthusiastic not only cheering the music but happy and cheering the cathartic release. As people filtered out I was catching their eye and doing a little rabble rousing to folks. I could tell some of the exiters were Trump’s tribe and they were quiet for once! One of the ushers came over and gave me a fist bump.
It was a mini spontaneous uprising for sure – it did not lead to a street rally but the people were energized – they were smiling and appreciative of the opportunity Robert Cray gave us to unify. The spontaneous reaction of this audience who was there for music shows the potential that the current sitution has.
We should go where people are already assembled – people whose demographic would likely reject fascism and genocide. There might be potential to spark some spontaneous participation now – the climate might be right. The method is tricky because it could backfire with reactionery or police response or just plain apathy. But there might be potential to spark some spontaneous response given the level of heat and the pressure cooker effect. Lets consider some options.
The following video by Robert Cray’s official site appropriately puts people’s movement to the song. Lets do this in real life. Lyrics follow the video. On Friday September 26, Robert Cray brought the audience hope and created a spark of rebellion. Lets fan that spark and make it rise! Thank you Robert Cray and hell yeah – we got to get him out NOW!
Lyrics of This Man by Robert Cray
verse
Who is this man in our house?
Who is this man? Better get him out
We′ve got a problem, he’s gotta go
He don′t leave
Can’t live here no more
If we wanna save our home
We need to get him out
When I come home from work
There he is again
Talkin’ loud, talkin′ trash
And it′s always something ’bout him
Every thing′s out of place
It just don’t belong
Can′t get no sleep
Cause he’s up on the phone
If we wanna save our home
We need to get him out
Who is this man in our house?
Who is this man? We need to get him out
He had to have help
How the hell he′d get in?
Now he’s walking around
Like he’s a big king
If we wanna save our home
We need to get him out
chorus
Get him out, get him out, get him out
You′d better get him out
Get him out, get him out
We need to get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Need to get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out
We need to get him out
Get him out, get him out
Oh, we need to get him out
Get him out, get him out
Get him, get him, get him out
Get him out, get him out
Get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Oh, Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
Get him out, get him out, get him out
