5/12/08: The Swinging Madisons “Guilty White Liberal” (1981)

Some of our favorite artists refuse to cooperate with this site. We’re especially frustrated that we can’t come up with a single entry from The Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. That has to be one of the greatest albums of all time. We’re also big fans of Kristian Hoffman, who was probably dreaming of The Monkees back when he was fronting Mumps with childhood pal Lance Loud. We’re not actually big fans of those legendary NYC glam-punks. We’re more excited about Hoffman’s sparse work as a solo artist over the past fifteen years. He’s written some gorgeous and catchy pop tunes, but none with clear conservative content.

Somehow, we’d forgotten about his sole ’80s effort with The Swinging Madisons. We own a copy of the 5-song EP from 1981, but hadn’t thought about it for a while—until the fine Power Pop Criminals blog recently posted a download of this great lost album.

Well, actually, it’s a great lost EP. Maybe an album wouldn’t have worked, since The Swinging Madisons were precious to the point of novelty. The three original songs are fun, though, and “Guilty White Liberal” is more relevant than ever.

Download it for yourself, but here are the lyrics. Read them while keeping in mind that The Swinging Madisons were supposed to be Hoffman’s more mainstream effort:

         Now Vietnam is over and you can feel so suppressed
         You must admit there's nothing left a white boy can protest
         So why should all this comfort make you so uncomfortable
         When you're guilty, you're white, and you're liberal?

         You never get a bone to pick like all those Blacks and Jews
         So why should God give you a soul you'll never get to use?
         How can a poor boy suffer when his stomach’s always full
         And he's guilty, he's white, and he's liberal.

              You don't have to feel so bad just because you're rich
              You don't have to feel so bad just because you're free
              If your unfair advantages make your conscience itch
              I don't mind—you can give them all to me

         How can a Swingle prove he's big enough to care
         When even your high tension job won't buy a cross to bear?
         You just can't help but wonder why you can't be wonderful
         When you're guilty, you're white, and you're liberal.
         Guilty, guilty, guilty, I saw you watching Roots
         You don't have to feel so bad
         Guilty, guilty, guilty
         You're guilty, you're white, and you're liberal

Notice how Hoffman directly addresses his audience of Swingles? That must’ve baffled the crowds at the hipster haunts where The Swinging Madisons played—but it must’ve also entertained them in that Hoffman tradition.

Make it your own: Here’s that download again, and here’s Hoffman’s site. The best of his solo work is Earthquake Weather and &. You’ll find copies of both at criminally cheap prices. & is particularly great, and pairs Hoffman with a number of guest artists—including Russell Mael from Sparks and Broadway’s own Stew.

 

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