I thought you were an Arab

(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_