Roy Zimmerman | Satirical Singer and Songwriter

October 1, 2009

Dr. Kent: Hello, everyone. It’s a beautiful day here in New York. I’m excited about this show’s new format. Every week’s going to be a little bit different. This week, I’m excited because there’s five music guests and one author. Authors of sound are featured on today’s show, and we always feature sound authors and authors of sound. My first guest on the show is Roy Zimmerman, and he’s going to tell us what’s so funny about war, poverty, ignorance, bigotry, neo-conservatism, homophobia, greed and fear. I’m excited about it. Welcome to the show, Roy.

Roy Zimmerman: Thanks very much, Kent.

Dr. Kent: Tell me about comedy and music, do they fit together?

Roy Zimmerman: Certainly not [laughs]. Man, if they don’t, I’m out of a career. I think I’m just sort of wired to equate the two.

Dr. Kent: So are you out of material during this new Obama administration, or are you just fueling off of all this craziness surrounding healthcare and all that?

Roy Zimmerman: Well, I wondered when Obama was elected, and nothing went wrong ever again, what I would write about. But, obviously there’s quite a bit to write about. Census workers being hanged, and, you know, right? There’s stuff that I can write about, definitely.

Dr. Kent: The comedy, the satire for you really does come out of these serious things. Imagine how awful it is in the country today that something like that could happen. He survived cancer too, right, and had a kid?

Roy Zimmerman: Oh yeah, he was apparently a model employee and so forth. It is amazing: this rise of this, if I may be so bold, sort of idiot nation, this kind of notion of America as a lot of lone individualists with no social connection whatsoever. So I’m putting together a new record called ‘Real America,’ where I talk a lot about what it is to be a real American.

Dr. Kent: Wow. Yes, it’s kind of a co-opted term, isn’t it, “American,” at some point?

Roy Zimmerman: That’s right. If you look at human history, you’ll realize that the first real Americans were actually Russians because there were people who migrated across the Bering Straight and came down. After they were Russians, they were Indians, quote, unquote [laughs]. So it wasn’t until Europeans arrived here that the real Americans started.

Dr. Kent: Have you written a song about ‘you lie’ yet?

Roy Zimmerman: About which now?

Dr. Kent: ‘You lie,’ that call out.

Roy Zimmerman: Yes, yes. Not about that incident in particular. That incident is indicative of a whole kind of mind set. Congress I think has become another Civil War reenactment.

Dr. Kent: It’s amazing.

Roy Zimmerman: Yes, I think some of those congressmen and senators are saving their confederate money.

Dr. Kent: Yes [laughs]. Well, it’s a pleasure chatting with Roy Zimmerman. He’s got a great website: RoyZimmerman.com. There’s some good comedic pictures on there, but there’s some real content as well. We’ve got a couple songs here, I’d like to play one that we’ve got. ‘Creation Science’ and ‘To Be a Liberal.’ Which one should we start with here?

Roy Zimmerman: Start with ‘Creation Science.’ This is a song that I’ve got up on You Tube, and it’s made something of a splash there.

Dr. Kent: Here we go, ‘Creation Science 101′ by Roy Zimmerman. Let’s listen to it, here we go. Yes, we’re having some technical difficulties. We’re not able to actually play that track. So, let me talk again to Roy while we’re trying to figure out what’s going on. Tell me what’s on that track; we’re having some technical difficulties playing it.

Roy Zimmerman: This song is about creationism, and teaching that in the public schools, which is what they want to do. I say, teach that. Teach that and the Norse-Odin myth, and the Karmic Wheel, and Scientologist version which states that the world was created on a bet between God and L. Ron Hubbard. Teach it all.

Dr. Kent: Creation and science are so often thought of as contradictions in terms, right? So creation science 101 [laughs].

Roy Zimmerman: Sure. You know the thing is that I wrote that song and then I come to find out there’s a guy named Kent Hovind down in Florida who actually teaches a class called Creation Science 101. That’s an example of humor that isn’t necessarily intentional.

Dr. Kent: Exactly. So let’s listen to the track, ‘Creation Science 101.’

[Music]

Dr. Kent: Well amen to that. That’s a great tune from Roy Zimmerman called ‘Creation Science 101.’ Great tune!

Roy Zimmerman: Thank you! An onslaught, isn’t it?

Dr. Kent: [Laughs] So, it’s been an honor chatting with Roy Zimmerman. We’re going to have to go, but on the way out, I want to play another song. Tell us about this song, ‘To Be a Liberal.’

Roy Zimmerman: ‘To Be a Liberal.’ I come from Marin County, which is sort of the bluest county in the bluest state of the Union, and it’s a lovely place to be, and we just pat each other on the back, and untie those macramé things that people did in the 70s, it’s wonderful. But I did want to get out across the country and bring a message of hope from the great Bay Area.

Dr. Kent: All right, well, it’s been an honor, and we hope to talk to you again.

Roy Zimmerman: Thanks, Dr. Kent!

Dr. Kent: All right, let’s listen to ‘To Be a Liberal,’ by Roy Zimmerman. Here we go.

[Music]

Dr. Kent: That was a great tune from Roy Zimmerman. Hysterical, for sure!

Posted by jamie | Filed Under Comedy, Concerts in Your Home, Folk, MUSICIAN INTERVIEW, PODCAST, TRANSCRIPTS