Although a vein of social and political humor runs though even his earliest work, Bern's work became more explicitly political during the 2004 US presidential election campaign, with songs such as "Bush Must Be Defeated" and "President" highlighting his sometimes surreal political takes.
Bern is reflexively literate, in the style of his favorite authors, including L.A.'s legendary bohemians Charles Bukowski and John Fante, urbane fantasist James Thurber, and yarn-spinning humorist Ring Lardner. He is in love with the power of words to turn on themselves, to frolic, to bite, and his strong, friendly voice can go from earnest to ferocious within seconds. Being captivated by Dan is the easy part; describing his music to the non-initiated is more difficult. One journalist tried: "topical-poetical-sarcastic-punk-folk." An admirable effort, further elaborated by the New York Times: "He veers from comedy to anger, conjectures to shaggy-dog stories; he takes sidelong approaches to theology, science fiction, consumer culture, art, love and baseball."
Sammy's Bat
Dan Bern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Abraham and Jesus and Mohammed all came down
Heard there was a meeting down in Bat Sheba town
Abraham was detained, his passport not in order
Said you got no papers to get across the border
Jesus had no money, his entry was refused
He became a soldier, a killer for the Jews
Mohammed still had one chance to try to help save us
But just as he was coming, they blew up Mohammed's bus
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all them cows
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all them cows
The chariots arrived and the roadmap was set down
They searched every house and everyone in town
Buildings exploded, fire fell like rain
The seas were burning and the great winds came
Call now all your prophets and your prophet's sons
Go down to the water, say a prayer if you have one
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
The devil made his meeting, he ran unopposed
The devil got his wishes while we watched TV and dozed
The devil did the talk shows and lit the Olympic flame
The devil threw the first ball out at the All-Star Game
The devil was a diplomat, the devil was a CEO
The devil remembered your first name, the devil was a pro
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
The Holy Roman Empire was brought down to its knees
For trying to bring the empire across the seven seas
There's a time for love and there's a time for war
And there's a time for looting guns from the liquor store
There's a time for revolution, Thomas Jefferson said that
There's a time for playing by the rules and a time to cork your bat
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
I had a dream and
I had a dream and
I had a dream right now
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
"Sammy's Bat" is a song by Dan Bern that deals with political and religious issues that have persisted throughout human history. The song is structured around a series of dreams the singer has in which he sees various religious figures struggling to gain entry into a country before the apocalypse strikes. In the song's first, and most repeated, dream, the singer sees Abraham, Jesus, and Mohammed attempting to cross a border, only to be denied entry for various reasons. While the three religious figures are denied entry, the singer identifies that "the devil" is able to run for office, hold executive positions, and achieve fame and recognition.
In the latter half of the song, the imagery switches from religious imagery to imagery of war and revolution. The Holy Roman Empire is brought down to its knees, and there is a time for both love and war. The song ends with the singer declaring that he had a dream, and that it was something about Guantanamo Bay and about cows. Though the meaning of the song may be interpreted in many ways, it could be referencing the mistreatment of detainees and prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, while the cows symbolize the innocent bystanders affected by the violence and horror of war.
Overall, "Sammy's Bat" asks questions about morality, justice, and the world around us. It questions why some people are allowed to have power and do harm, while others suffer. It also argues that there is not always a clear right or wrong, and that sometimes those lines can become blurry.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a dream and
The singer is repeating that they had a dream to emphasize its importance
I had a dream right now
The dream is currently on the singer's mind and they feel compelled to express it
Somethin' bout Guantanamo Bay and somethin' bout all these cows
The dream contains imagery related to Guantanamo Bay and cows, although the meaning of these images is not clear
Abraham and Jesus and Mohammed all came down
The three major monotheistic prophets appear, suggesting a theme of religious conflict
Heard there was a meeting down in Bat Sheba town
There is a gathering of some kind happening in this significant Biblical location
Abraham was detained, his passport not in order
Even the most important religious figures face bureaucratic obstacles and restrictions
Said you got no papers to get across the border
Abraham is not allowed to pass due to a lack of documentation, a commentary on the importance of official records and identification
Jesus had no money, his entry was refused
Jesus, another revered figure, is also restricted from entering due to financial reasons
He became a soldier, a killer for the Jews
In order to overcome his lack of funds, Jesus must resort to violence to gain acceptance
Mohammed still had one chance to try to help save us
Mohammed is the only one who can potentially bring salvation, heightening the religious tension
But just as he was coming, they blew up Mohammed's bus
Mohammed is unable to fulfill his role as savior because of violent and unjust actions of others
The chariots arrived and the roadmap was set down
There is a sense of imminent arrival and planning, possibly indicating a military operation
They searched every house and everyone in town
People's privacy and sense of security is violated in the course of this operation
Buildings exploded, fire fell like rain
There is a devastating attack that results in widespread destruction and chaos
The seas were burning and the great winds came
The natural world is also affected by this catastrophic event
Call now all your prophets and your prophet's sons
There is a desperate call for divine intervention and guidance
Go down to the water, say a prayer if you have one
Water and prayer both hold spiritual significance and can potentially help in this dire situation
The devil made his meeting, he ran unopposed
The devil, representing evil and malevolent forces, has seized an opportunity
The devil got his wishes while we watched TV and dozed
People are unaware or unconcerned about the devil's actions and their own complacency allows him to gain power
The devil did the talk shows and lit the Olympic flame
The devil has infiltrated various aspects of society, even appearing on talk shows and participating in major events
The devil threw the first ball out at the All-Star Game
The devil's influence extends even to entertainment and sports
The devil was a diplomat, the devil was a CEO
The devil occupies positions of power and authority in society, perpetuating corruption and wrongdoing
The devil remembered your first name, the devil was a pro
The devil is skilled at manipulation and deception, even being able to remember individual people's names
The Holy Roman Empire was brought down to its knees
A powerful institution has been humbled and weakened
For trying to bring the empire across the seven seas
The motivation behind the empire's actions was for expansion and conquest
There's a time for love and there's a time for war
Different situations call for different actions, some peaceful and some violent
And there's a time for looting guns from the liquor store
In extreme circumstances, even illegal and immoral actions may be necessary for survival
There's a time for revolution, Thomas Jefferson said that
Revolution, often associated with violence and conflict, may sometimes be justified for the pursuit of freedom and justice
There's a time for playing by the rules and a time to cork your bat
Following established norms and standards can be beneficial, but sometimes bending or breaking the rules can lead to success
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.