She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between emotional reflections on romance and outright comedy. Two of her more famous songs include "Sensitive New Age Guys" and "Bald Headed Men".
The Peter Principle at Work
Christine Lavin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
then Republicans came to New York to sway those few undecided
three miles south of where they gathered in this town
there's a deep dark empty hole in the ground
All of us who live here were shaken by that day
and the weeks and months that followed, some pain never goes away
the delegates all made the pilgrimage down to Ground Zero
After 9/11 we had the sympathy of the world
though we cried we felt pride every time our flag unfurled
three years down the line that sympathy is gone
he said 'mission accomplished' as the battles raged on
how can mission be accomplished with the battles raging on?
We know exactly how many Americans have died in Iraq
but we never see the photos of the coffins coming back
we see photos of the torture that was done in our name
lots of fingers pointing but no one taking blame
A filmmaker from Flint Michigan makes a movie you won't see
shines a spotlight on the dark side of our democracy
you'd rather close your eyes than engage us in debate
the platform of the uninformed breeds the politics of hate
New York City is everything so many of you fear
Chinese Korean Russian even Arabic spoken here
Hassidic Jews and lesbians living right next door
to single mothers raising kids while daddy's off to war
there are single fathers raising kids while mommy's off to war
Sent there by a leader who never had a clue
but never had a single doubt about what he should do
he thinks God made him president, heaven knows we didn't do it
is it time for us to say 'Oh Lawdy, oh Lawdy, somebody blew it'
Or are we witnessing the Peter Principle at work?
the highest level of incompetence still expecting every perk?
or have we all gone crazy? could we be dead wrong?
can the righteous be defeated by the stupid and the strong?
or will we be blacklisted because we wrote this song?
The Peter Principle at Work is a poignant song by Christine Lavin that begins with a mention of how the country feels more divided than ever before. The song refers to the Republican party coming to New York to influence undecided voters. The songwriters then point to Ground Zero—now empty and dark—just three miles from where the Republicans gathered to praise reluctant heroes. The aftermath of 9/11 brought the world's sympathy, and the American flag unfurled with pride for weeks and months to follow. But, as the song moves forward, the writer's dismay grows because the sympathy they once had is gone, and the battles keep raging on.
The song draws a contrast between the lack of sympathy today with the pictures of coffins that the government hides from people. The lyrics also talk about a filmmaker from Flint, Michigan, who tries to expose how the country is blinded by its democracy's dark side, but the writer feels like people choosing to ignore it is what's causing the country's downfall. The lyrics continue to highlight the city's diversity and how it's a place of fear for some due to its mixed culture. The song concludes by asking whether it's incompetence at play, leading us to a downward spiral, or if we've turned crazy to let such things go on.
Line by Line Meaning
Never had we felt our country more divided
The country has become deeply divided since the entry of Republicans who are here in New York to influence the few who are undecided
then Republicans came to New York to sway those few undecided
The Republicans are here in New York to influence the few who are undecided
three miles south of where they gathered in this town
The Republicans are gathered in a town three miles from Ground Zero
there's a deep dark empty hole in the ground
Ground Zero is a deep dark empty hole in the ground, a somber reminder of the tragedy that occurred on 9/11
All of us who live here were shaken by that day
The people of New York were deeply shaken by the events of September 11th
and the weeks and months that followed, some pain never goes away
The aftermath of the tragedy was felt for weeks and months, some of the pain never going away
the delegates all made the pilgrimage down to Ground Zero
The delegates all visited Ground Zero after the tragedy
pose for photographs with each reluctant hero
The delegates posed for photos with the reluctant heroes, those who survived the tragedy
After 9/11 we had the sympathy of the world
After the 9/11 attacks, the US had the sympathy of the world
though we cried we felt pride every time our flag unfurled
Despite the tears, the people of the US felt pride every time their flag unfurled
three years down the line that sympathy is gone
Three years after 9/11, the sympathy of the world has waned
he said 'mission accomplished' as the battles raged on
President Bush declared 'mission accomplished' even as the battles in Iraq raged on
how can mission be accomplished with the battles raging on?
It's unclear how the mission can be accomplished if battles are still ongoing
We know exactly how many Americans have died in Iraq
The US knows exactly how many Americans have died in Iraq
but we never see the photos of the coffins coming back
The US public never sees photos of the coffins of those who died coming back
we see photos of the torture that was done in our name
The public sees photos of the torture done in the name of America
lots of fingers pointing but no one taking blame
Many people are blaming others, but nobody is taking responsibility
A filmmaker from Flint Michigan makes a movie you won't see
There is a movie made by a filmmaker from Flint, Michigan that most people will not see
shines a spotlight on the dark side of our democracy
The movie aims to highlight the darker side of American democracy
you'd rather close your eyes than engage us in debate
Many people would rather ignore the issue than engage in debate
the platform of the uninformed breeds the politics of hate
The politics of hate is often the result of ignorance and misinformation
New York City is everything so many of you fear
Many people fear what New York City represents
Chinese Korean Russian even Arabic spoken here
New York City is a diverse place where many languages are spoken
Hassidic Jews and lesbians living right next door
People of different backgrounds and preferences live in close proximity to each other in New York City
to single mothers raising kids while daddy's off to war
There are single mothers raising children while their partner is away at war
there are single fathers raising kids while mommy's off to war
There are also single fathers raising children while their partner is away at war
Sent there by a leader who never had a clue
The soldiers were sent to war by a leader who many see as misguided
but never had a single doubt about what he should do
Despite criticism, the leader never had any doubts about his decisions
he thinks God made him president, heaven knows we didn't do it
The leader believes that he was made president by a higher power, but the public did not necessarily choose him
is it time for us to say 'Oh Lawdy, oh Lawdy, somebody blew it'
Many people believe it is time to admit that mistakes have been made
Or are we witnessing the Peter Principle at work?
Some believe that incompetence is the norm and the Peter Principle is at work
the highest level of incompetence still expecting every perk?
Those at the highest level of incompetence still expect the same privileges as those who are competent
or have we all gone crazy? could we be dead wrong?
Some wonder if everyone has gone crazy and if they are wrong in their thinking
can the righteous be defeated by the stupid and the strong?
Some wonder if those who are ignorant and powerful can defeat those who are righteously motivated but weaker
or will we be blacklisted because we wrote this song?
Some fear being blacklisted for speaking out about their beliefs
Contributed by Mason P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.