The late Allen Ginsberg first published his poem “The Ballad of the Skeletons” in the pages of this magazine in 1995. A portrait of our world of contradictions, the poem was set to music by Ginsberg in that same year in collaboration with Paul McCartney, Philip Glass and Lenny Kaye. Now, with a new release by Ginsberg Recordings, the song can be heard in its entirety once again. Listen to the recording and read the full poem below with illustrations by Eric Drooker. Check out Ginsberg Recordings' new release here.
 

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Said the Presidential skeleton
I won’t sign the bill
Said the Speaker skeleton
Yes you will
 
Said the Representative skeleton
I object
Said the Supreme Court skeleton
Whaddya expect
 
Said the Military skeleton
Buy Star Bombs
Said the Upperclass skeleton
Starve unmarried moms
 
Said the Yahoo skeleton
Stop dirty art
Said the Right Wing skeleton
Forget about yr heart
 
Said the Gnostic skeleton
The Human Form’s divine
Said the Moral Majority skeleton
No it’s not it’s mine
 
Said the Buddha skeleton
Compassion is wealth
Said the Corporate skeleton
It’s bad for your health
 
Said the Old Christ skeleton
Care for the Poor
Said the Son of God skeleton
AIDS needs cure
 
Said the Homophobe skeleton
Gay folk suck
Said the Heritage Policy skeleton
Blacks’re outta luck
 
Said the Macho skeleton
Women in their place
Said the Fundamentalist skeleton
Increase human race
 
Said the Right-to-Life skeleton
Foetus has a soul
Said Pro-choice skeleton
Shove it up your hole
 
Said the Downsized skeleton
Robots got my job
Said the Tough-on-Crime skeleton
Tear-gas the mob
 
Said the Governor skeleton
Cut school lunch
Said the Mayor skeleton
Eat the budget crunch
 

 
Said the Neo-Conservative skeleton
Homeless off the street!
Said the Free Market skeleton
Use ’em up for meat
 
Said the Think Tank skeleton
Free Market’s the way
Said the S&L skeleton
Make the State pay
 
Said the Chrysler skeleton
Pay for you & me
Said the Nuke Power skeleton
& me & me & me
 
Said the Ecologic skeleton
Keep Skies blue
Said the Multinational skeleton
What’s it worth to you?
 
Said the NAFTA skeIeton
Get rich, Free Trade,
Said the Maquiladora skeleton
Sweat shops, low paid
 
Said the rich GATT skeleton
One world, high tech
Said the Underclass skeleton
Get it in the neck
 
Said the World Bank skeleton
Cut down your trees
Said the I.M.F. skeleton
Buy American cheese
 
Said the Underdeveloped skeleton I
Send me rice
Said Developed Nations’ skeleton
Sell your bones for dice
 
Said the Ayatollah skeleton
Die writer die
Said Joe Stalin’s skeleton
That’s no lie
 
Said the Petrochemical skeleton
Roar Bombers roar!
Said the Psychedelic skeleton
Smoke a dinosaur
 

 
Said Nancy’s skeleton
Just say No
Said the Rasta skeleton
Blow Nancy Blow
 
Said Demagogue skeleton
Don’t smoke Pot
Said Alcoholic skeleton
Let your liver rot
 
Said the Junkie skeleton
Can’t we get a fix?
Said the Big Brother skeleton
Jail the dirty pricks
 
Said the Mirror skeleton
Hey good looking
Said the Electric Chair skeleton
Hey what’s cooking?
 
Said the Talkshow skeleton
Fuck you in the face
Said the Family Values skeleton
My family values mace
 
Said the N.Y. Times skeleton
That’s not fit to print
Said the C.I.A. skeleton
Cantcha take a hint?
 
Said the Network skeleton
Believe my lies
Said the Advertising skeleton
Don’t get wise!
 
Said the Media skeleton
Believe you me
Said the Couch-Potato skeleton
What me worry?
 
Said the TV skeleton
Eat sound bites
Said the Newscast skeleton
That’s all Goodnight
 
2/12-16/95