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I thought you were an Arab

From:John Cowan <jcowan@...>
Date:Tuesday, May 28, 2002, 21:10
(Private response)

> (Oo, I like the sound of that song. Should I seek it out? Anybody > who says ['ejR&b] is already well on their way to winning my > favour.)
Here's the lyrics in full, but it doesn't capture the lilting melody, nor Tom Paxton's ironic delivery. BTW, the context was the 1978-84 FBI operation called "Abscam". In Abscam, the FBI set up a phony company called Abdul Enterprises to lure various Congressmen and Senators into accepting bribes. By 1984, five had been convicted. Abdul the sheik wanted among other things to purchase asylum in the U.S. One Congressman managed to escape conviction on a plea of entrapment. I thought you just got off of the plane Desert sand still in your shoes The sand was probably Virginia Beach And you were from Newport News I thought you were an Arab Saw the desert in your eyes I thought of asking for a job in Abu Dhabi /dZAb@nAbUdAbi/ Till you sprang that big surprise. You handed me the money Just like a real Arab does So I thought you were an Arab And all the time you were the fuzz. I thought you were an Arab Desert Caliph or a sheik /Sejk/ I thought I'd be your friend in Congress You'd be grateful, what a terrible mistake. You handed me the money And that was all I saw So I thought you were an Arab And all the time you were the law. Abdul was kinda obvious Now that I kinda think it through The way you spoke American without an accent Sure reflected well on you. When you handed me the briefcase full of cash I accepted with a wink. You can catch it on the evening news you rat Now I'm headed for the clink. I thought you were an Arab When you were really apple pie You had a little shopping list of Congressmen And prominent upon the list was I. I smiled for the camera I couldn't see it from my seat So I thought you were an Arab And all the time you were the heat. You were Lawrence of the FBI You really played it to the hilt There'll be no mercy back in Jersey When you tell 'em how the fatal milk was spilt. I thought you were Kings of the fabled East All you really were was bums I got caught with hand in the cookie jar Now my hand is full of crumbs. -- John Cowan <jcowan@...> http://www.reutershealth.com I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, http://www.ccil.org/~cowan han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith. --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_