Fresh out of the secondary with a gown and cap in hand
Thank you for the luggage, daddy, now I know right where you stand
I could duck the two-year college
and just pocket the ten thousand dollars
I could get a job at Arthur’s and restore that old Dodge Charger
We are the rank and file
Give us instructions we’ll come through with a smile
We are the rank & file
Give us an inch and we’ll carry you for miles
Well I thought about the Army, like that song by Ben Folds Five
But the CNN News ticker kind of made me change my mind
All the cool cats went to college
Who the hell is R.E.M.?
I prefer cold cash over knowledge
And my girl likes Van Halen
We are the rank & file
Give us instructions we’ll come through with a smile
We are the rank & file
Give us an inch and we’ll carry you for miles
We are the rank & file
Give us acceptance keep our votes for a while
We are the rank & file
Flowery words only serve to beguile
We are the rank & file
Give us an inch and we’ll carry you
Carry you!
Released in 2001, “The Convincer” is a gentle gem in the Nick Lowe catalog; an anniversary edition provides opportunity for rediscovery. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 20, 2021