Check out a video and song based on singer/songwriter Bo Carter’s observation of the daily protests in Portland, OR in 2020. The song is featured in the fictional biography, Stinky Karma.
Photo: Screenshot from a typical protest stream.
21 February 2023 | James Porteous | Clipper Media News
Starting in May 2020, demonstrations began n the city of Portland, Oregon in response to the murder of George Lloyd.
These events were carried live on YouTube every night for weeks and the singer/songwriter Bo Carter, who was living in a different time zone at the time, watched the live stream every morning.
He composed this song based on both things he had witnessed and events he imagined could have taken place.
The song is featured in the book Stinky Karma, a fictional biography of his life and career.
Watch: Portland (Tuesday 3:12 AM)
Portland (Tuesday 3:12 AM)
Words and Music
By James Porteous
Deep in the heart of the protest
The pavement reeks of yesterday
Down on their luck but no one gives a fuck
The river flows the other way
The times they are still changing
left is left and wrong is right
Guns in hands all across the land
Vigilanties looking for a fight
The meet at midnight at the Federal
The two Johnny’s and their friends
It is time to rock it’s time to roll
They won’t let this moment end
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
The lights go off again at midnight
The smell of teargas fills the air
The border cops are shooting up the park
Their smirking mugs are everywhere
There’s something floating in the fountain
It’s been swimming there for days
Some guy says he’s gonna to fish it out
They just turn and walk away
The Border cops are set to kettle
After 60 days they’ve had enough
They’ll pin them in and by god they’ll win
These pussies really ain’t so tough
A flare burned down the foodbank
It was mostly empty anyway
He dons a mask and skims the trash
They share some bread along the way
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
The cops are setting up a Stingray
They’ll be staring at blank screens
Holding phones up into the night air
Saddest sight you’ve ever seen
Johnny C tells Frankie B
There’s a chance that it might rain
He doesn’t care he’s gonna wash his hair
But Frankie’s heading back to Maine
The Border cops are set to kettle
After 60 days they’ve had enough
They’ll pin them in and by god they’ll win
These pussies really ain’t so tough
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
Trump is hiding in his bunker
Driving golf carts up and down
He’s making plans for a beautiful war
Put those commies in the ground
Screw your Wall Street and your lawyers
You had a chance to make it right
Screw your banks and your bailouts
You screwed us all with all your might
Chaos rules and the stupid fools
Never even tried to make it right
© 2020 James Porteous
Click Linktree to buy Stinky Karma
Stinky Karma
Bo Carter began his career as a singer-songwriter in the tumultuous 1960s, playing folk and rock in Greenwich Village.
During this time, he toured with some of the most renowned names in the music industry, such as The Touts, The Kinks, and even Bob Dylan.
Carter has always been passionate about music and songwriting, and this fictional biography provides a wealth of firsthand knowledge and information about songwriting and life on the road.
The reader also joins Carter while he records his ‘comeback’ album at New York’s renowned Record Plant and consumes a bottle of single malt while trying to write a new song for the latest Robert Altman film.
Links to original songs written by the author of the book are also included.
Click Linktree to buy the book
Portland (Tuesday 3:12 AM)
Words and Music
By James Porteous
Deep in the heart of the protest
The pavement reeks of yesterday
Down on their luck but no one gives a fuck
The river flows the other way
The times they are still changing
left is left and wrong is right
Guns in hands all across the land
Vigilanties looking for a fight
The meet at midnight at the Federal
The two Johnny’s and their friends
It is time to rock it’s time to roll
They won’t let this moment end
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
The lights go off again at midnight
The smell of teargas fills the air
The border cops are shooting up the park
Their smirking mugs are everywhere
There’s something floating in the fountain
It’s been swimming there for days
Some guy says he’s gonna to fish it out
They just turn and walk away
The Border cops are set to kettle
After 60 days they’ve had enough
They’ll pin them in and by god they’ll win
These pussies really ain’t so tough
A flare burned down the foodbank
It was mostly empty anyway
He dons a mask and skims the trash
They share some bread along the way
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
The cops are setting up a Stingray
They’ll be staring at blank screens
Holding phones up into the night air
Saddest sight you’ve ever seen
Johnny C tells Frankie B
There’s a chance that it might rain
He doesn’t care he’s gonna wash his hair
But Frankie’s heading back to Maine
The Border cops are set to kettle
After 60 days they’ve had enough
They’ll pin them in and by god they’ll win
These pussies really ain’t so tough
He looks to heaven and says, hey man
Won’t you please give me a sign
He hears a voice like thunder saying
Sorry man, it ain’t your time
Ain’t your time
Trump is hiding in his bunker
Driving golf carts up and down
He’s making plans for a beautiful war
Put those commies in the ground
Screw your Wall Street and your lawyers
You had a chance to make it right
Screw your banks and your bailouts
You screwed us all with all your might
Chaos rules and the stupid fools
Never even tried to make it right
© 2020 James Porteous
