There’s No Cure for This

Performed by Debbie “Hayride” Harper & The Prairie Songbirds

There’s No Cure for This

Verse 1
I tune in, but the picture’s all blurry and cracked,
Facts on the fritz, and the truth’s been hijacked.
They say they’re reporters, call it “news from the source,”
But if you check the credits, you’ll see it’s off course.

Once, truth was a standard; now, it’s a farce,
Claiming that Marx owns the facts, top of the charts.
Seems honesty’s an ancient, long-lost art,
While smoke and fiction play their part.

Chorus
Smoke and fiction, wrapped up in disguise,
Legacy media, selling headlines and lies.
Fake news, false tales, all truth out of view,
And they say Marx is the author of what’s “really” true.

Verse 2
It’s all rehearsed lines and staged affairs,
With a DJ’s spin, no facts to spare.
Professionalism’s gone, now it’s all for show,
Where truth’s buried deep, way down below.

A unicorn’s easier to find these days,
Than honest reporters without a script to play.
For ratings and power, they’ll sell their souls,
While integrity’s just dust on an old payroll.

Chorus
Smoke and fiction, wrapped up in disguise,
Legacy media, selling headlines and lies.
Fake news, false tales, all truth out of view,
And they say Marx is the author of what’s “really” true.

Bridge
Searching for the truth? You’re out of luck,
It’s a choose-your-own-ending, no facts, just muck.
Maybe if honesty paid, they’d give it a go,
But these days, even Bigfoot’s got more to show.

Verse 3
Legacy media calls themselves “free press,”
But their scripted drama’s a twisted mess.
If honesty was golden, they’d be rich as kings,
But they’re too busy chasing those make-believe strings.

Chorus
Smoke and fiction, wrapped up in disguise,
Legacy media, selling headlines and lies.
Fake news, false tales, all truth out of view,
And they say Marx is the author of what’s “really” true.

Outro
Maybe professionalism could light the way,
An honest journalist shining each day.
But tell me, where ya gonna find ‘em here?
Seems truth’s gone extinct—now, that’s the real fear.

Lyrics and Music by Alan Nafzger

Songwriter’s observations on the perceived failures of the free press in the 2024 election, themed around Smoke and Fiction:

1. “Legacy media’s new slogan: ‘Why let facts get in the way of a good narrative?'”
2. “These days, if you find an honest journalist, you’ve probably stumbled onto a history book.”
3. “In 2024, they didn’t just report the news; they spun it like it was a side hustle.”
4. “Apparently, professionalism is now classified as ‘outdated’—like landlines and typewriters.”
5. “They say the truth will set you free, but some outlets seem to think fiction gets better ratings.”
6. “Smoke and mirrors? Try smoke and fiction—their special for the election season.”
7. “If Marx owned the truth, they’d be charging admission to read it.”
8. “Legacy media: where misdirection meets misinformation, and everybody gets popcorn.”
9. “Searching for unbiased reporting? You might as well be looking for Bigfoot.”
10. “Some journalists are like DJs these days; they’re remixing the news to fit the beat.”
11. “Fake news? That’s so 2016. Now we’ve got full-blown political theater.”
12. “Apparently, the only thing rarer than a professional journalist is a unicorn in a suit.”
13. “Watching election coverage felt like reading a choose-your-own-adventure novel, where every ending’s a cliffhanger.”
14. “Remember when ‘free press’ meant freedom from influence, not freedom from accountability?”
15. “If legacy media were a movie, it’d be a suspense thriller titled The Disappearing Facts.“

Last Updated on November 10, 2024 by Alan Nafzger