Alix Olson is an internationally touring folk poe… Read Full Bio ↴from alixolson.com
Alix Olson is an internationally touring folk poet and progressive queer artist-activist. One part peace vigil, one part protest rally, and one part joyful raucous concert, Alix ignites audiences everywhere she performs. Olson's innumerable stage, broadcast, radio and print appearances include, most recently, twice headlining HBO's "Def Poetry Jam" (Russell Simmons), and an inclusion in Utne Magazine's InRadio compilation. Utne's website calls Olson "...the spoken word diva everyone's talking about."
Alix has graced the cover of Ms. Magazine, who called Olson a "road-poet-on-a-mission," and her work has been featured in Girlfriends Magazine, The Advocate, OUT Magazine, Curve, Lesbian Review of Books, and on the covers of Lambda Book Report, Lavender Lens, and Velvet Park magazines. A recent interview with Olson for The Progressive calls her a "word warrior" and gives a comprehensive peek into just what makes her work so compelling. Alix has appeared on the nationally syndicated Air America's "Unfiltered" radio (co-hosts Rachel Maddow, Rachel Winstead, and Chuck D), as well as on Oxygen television, CNN, HBO, In the Life, and WXPN's World Cafe with David Dye, and local radio stations around the country.
Alix was voted "Best Activist", along with MoveOn, in Venus Magazine's Hott List 2004. Olson was voted 2004 OutMusician of the Year (OutMusic), and was a triple nominee for the 2002 OUTMusic Awards. In June 2003, Alix (along with Margaret Cho and Nobuko Oyabu) received the "Visionary Award" from the DC Rape Crisis Center for her "exceptional commitment to the promotion of social justice." Past honorees include Gloria Steinem, Tori Amos, Patricia Ireland and Sarah Jones. Olson has also received a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, and a Barbara Deming grant.
Howard Zinn (historian/activist) calls Alix "an ingenious poet, a brilliant performer, a funny person, a serious thinker. Quite simply, extraordinary."
Alix tours over two-hundred days a year, and has headlined national conferences for the National Organization for Women, GenderPac, and the Lesbian Summit. Most recently, Alix performed for one million people at the Washington, D.C. March for Women's Lives. She has headlined international poetry festivals in Portugal, the Netherlands, and England, and will be touring Australia in January.
Of her live performances, The Progressive Magazine calls Alix "an electrifying performer who seduces the audience with wit and energy, spinning tales of life on the road between her fiery poems. A sharpshooter with theatrical flair, Olson oozes both love and rage."
Above all, Alix Olson is undaunted by being labeled as "controversial." "I think any artist who confronts the status quo will be targeted as 'controversial'. We will also be called 'angry,' 'aggressive,' 'loud,' or at best, 'idealistic,' so that we are discounted, backed into a corner, and our power is deflated. But I have never been intimidated by words, because they've always been on my side."
America's On Sale
Alix Olson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
attention 9 to 5 folk, cell-phone masses,
the up and coming classes.
attention sports-utility,
plastic-surgery suburbanites,
viagra-popping, gucci-shopping urbanites.
attention george-clooney loonies,
promise-keeper sheep,
big investment talkers,
ricki lake-watchers.
attention walmart congregation,
shop til you drop generation,
ATTENTION NATION!
AMERICA'S ON SALE!
We've unstocked the welfare pantry
to restock the wall street gentry
it's economically elementary
because values don't pay,
yes, american dreams are on permanent layaway!
(there was limited availability anyway)
the statue of liberty is being dismantled,
ten dollars a piece to sit on your mantle
or hang on your wall
by the small somalian child
you bought from sally struthers
sisters and brothers, it's now or never,
these deals won't last forever-
AMERICA'S ON SALE!
(restrictions may apply if you're black, gay or female)
And shoppers!
global perspective is ninety-ninety percent off
cause most of the world don't count to us.
our ethic inventory is low
because moral business has been slow,
the values-company is moving to mexico--
and ALL ETHICS MUST GO!
It's a remote control America that's on sale
because standing up for justice can't compare
to clicking through it from a lazy chair--
Answer: jerry, montel, oprah
Question: folks who really care!
for a million dollars!
in this new mcveggie burger world order
where the mainstream scene has an alternative theme.
where national health care is one hundred percent off!
and medicare is in the fifty percent bin,
so you can buy--half an operation
when AMERICA'S ON SALE!
There's a close-out bid to determine
which religion will win
all the neon flashing signs of sin.
the Christian Coalition is bidding high
shoppers, you ask WHY?!
who needs a higher power when you've got
the purchasing power
to corner and market
one human mold.
That's right - Real family values
are being UNDERSOLD!
And it's open hunting season for the NRA!
there's a special oozie discount-- only today!
Gun control?! We say--
Fuck it! Blow it all away!
Because inflation is up on the CEO ego
and power is deflated as far as we go:
Nike bought the revolution,
and law schools bought the constitution!
Tommy Hilfiger bought the red, white, and blue,
(a flag shirt for fifty dollars,
the one being burned is you!)
Marlboro bought what it means to be a man,
Lexus equals power- so get it while you can.
Maybelline bought beauty,
New York bought Rudy Guiliani,
Mastercard Gold bought the national soul
Broadway bought talent and called it CATS!
the Republicans bought out the Democrats-
they liquidated all asses in a fat white donkey sale-
now it's buy one shmuck, get one shmuck free
in the capitalist party!
And there's nothing left to get in the way
of a full blue-light blow-out
of the U.S. of A!
there's a no-nothing back guarantee,
a zero-year warranty,
when you buy this land of the fritos, ruffles, lays.
this home of the braves, the chiefs, the reds, the slaves!
so call 1-800- i don't care about shit
or www.FUCK ALL OF IT!
to receive your credit for the fate of our nation-
(call now! Interest is at an all-time low)
But hurry shoppers!
because america's being downsized, citizens,
and you're all fired.
The lyrics in Alix Olson's "America's On Sale" criticize the consumerist culture and capitalistic society of the United States. Through the use of hyperbole, irony, and satire, Olson encourages her listeners to take a critical look at the power dynamics of their country. The attention-grabbing opening line, "Attention Shoppers!" sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics, as Olson places the responsibility of the country's state onto the consumerist population. She calls out different groups of people, ranging from the working class to the wealthy, using sarcastic descriptors to emphasize their dependence on materialism.
Line by Line Meaning
ATTENTION SHOPPERS!
Listen up everyone, especially those who work 9 to 5 and are glued to their cell phones all day long. This message is also directed at the newly wealthy members of society, including those who drive SUVs, have had plastic surgery, and buy expensive designer brands.
We've unstocked the welfare pantry to restock the wall street gentry
The government has cut funding to programs that assist the poor and redirected the money to benefit wealthy businesspeople on Wall Street.
it's economically elementary because values don't pay, yes, american dreams are on permanent layaway!
The decision to prioritize money over ethical values was an obvious choice, and now the American Dream is no longer attainable for most people.
the statue of liberty is being dismantled, ten dollars a piece to sit on your mantle or hang on your wall by the small somalian child you bought from sally struthers
The iconic symbol of the United States is being taken down and sold as a commodity, along with other cultural artifacts, by exploiting the labor of underprivileged children overseas.
these deals won't last forever- AMERICA'S ON SALE!
This message is urging people to take advantage of the current state of affairs, where everything is being sold for cheap, but warning that this situation won't last forever.
global perspective is ninety-ninety percent off cause most of the world don't count to us. our ethic inventory is low because moral business has been slow, the values-company is moving to mexico-- and ALL ETHICS MUST GO!
Americans have a very limited view of the world and don't value ethical business practices. Corporations are relocating to Mexico, where they can avoid regulations and continue to put profit above all else, including morals.
Answer: jerry, montel, oprah Question: folks who really care! for a million dollars!
American society values entertainment over genuine concern for social issues. TV shows like Jerry Springer, Montel Williams, and Oprah cater to this desire, even though the hosts may not genuinely care about the topics they discuss.
in this new mcveggie burger world order where the mainstream scene has an alternative theme. where national health care is one hundred percent off! and medicare is in the fifty percent bin, so you can buy--half an operation when AMERICA'S ON SALE!
The current state of society is heavily influenced by corporate interests, even in areas like health care. Basic health care is not valued and is priced prohibitively, and alternate lifestyles are only appreciated if they can be marketed.
There's a close-out bid to determine which religion will win all the neon flashing signs of sin. the Christian Coalition is bidding high shoppers, you ask WHY?! who needs a higher power when you've got the purchasing power to corner and market one human mold. That's right - Real family values are being UNDERSOLD!
Religion is being commercialized and sold to the highest bidder. The Christian Coalition is one group that is taking advantage of this situation, but the purposes of religion have been compromised in the face of corporate interests. True family values have been sacrificed for the sake of profit.
And it's open hunting season for the NRA! there's a special oozie discount-- only today! Gun control?! We say-- Fuck it! Blow it all away!
The NRA is profiting off of mass shootings and other forms of gun violence, ignoring the need for gun control and promoting firearms as a solution to problems in society.
Nike bought the revolution, and law schools bought the constitution! Tommy Hilfiger bought the red, white, and blue, (a flag shirt for fifty dollars, the one being burned is you!) Marlboro bought what it means to be a man, Lexus equals power- so get it while you can. Maybelline bought beauty, New York bought Rudy Guiliani, Mastercard Gold bought the national soul Broadway bought talent and called it CATS! the Republicans bought out the Democrats- they liquidated all asses in a fat white donkey sale- now it's buy one shmuck, get one shmuck free in the capitalist party!
Big businesses have bought and commodified symbols of American culture, including the revolution, the Constitution, the American flag, masculinity, and even beauty. Politicians and political parties have also been bought out and sold to corporate interests, leaving the American people feeling powerless and neglected.
there's a no-nothing back guarantee, a zero-year warranty, when you buy this land of the fritos, ruffles, lays. this home of the braves, the chiefs, the reds, the slaves! so call 1-800- i don't care about shit or www.FUCK ALL OF IT! to receive your credit for the fate of our nation- (call now! Interest is at an all-time low)
The message here is that there are no guarantees in the current state of America, and that society is built upon the exploitation of different communities. The American people are encouraged to disengage from this harmful system and seek a meaningful existence outside of consumer culture.
But hurry shoppers! because america's being downsized, citizens, and you're all fired.
The current state of affairs, where corporations and greed control American society, is a dangerous and unsustainable one. If people don't take action to shift the balance of power, they will be the ones who suffer the most.
Contributed by Olivia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.