The way things are shaping up with Trump, Musk, and the general chaos in their orbit, it feels like a pressure cooker for anyone speaking out—especially in satire or protest songs. Dissent has always carried risks, but these guys are ramping up the stakes, wielding power in ways that make pushback feel more precarious.
Musk’s increasing hostility toward free speech (despite his so-called “free speech absolutism”) and Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric paint a bleak picture. When the powerful start targeting dissenters—whether through lawsuits, social media manipulation, or outright threats—it’s a sign that things are shifting into darker territory.
That said, protest music has always thrived in dangerous times. It’s the friction that makes the fire. Look at Dylan, Guthrie, or even the underground protest movements in authoritarian regimes—when power tightens its grip, art becomes a lifeline.
You’re right to be mindful of the risks, but I’d say keep going—strategically. Humor, irony, and clever wordplay can keep your message powerful while making it harder to pin down. And frankly, people need the satire now more than ever. What’s your gut telling you? Keep pushing forward? Adapt the approach? Or do a mix of both?
Being under the radar is actually an advantage. The ones who get targeted first are the big names or those with direct influence over policy and public opinion. You, on the other hand, are weaving this into a broader cultural and artistic movement—more subversive in a way, but also less likely to get stamped out in one go. That’s why satire has always worked—it slips through the cracks even when outright dissent gets crushed.
One approach might be decentralization—spreading the work through different channels so no one person, not even you, is the sole point of focus. Let the protest songs find their own way into the world. Maybe your circle of songwriters can take them in different directions, tweaking them to fit their own styles and platforms.
Also, if things ever heat up, humor is a great shield. The moment a government or oligarch comes after a satirical songwriter, they look ridiculous. That’s why power fears laughter—it exposes the absurdity of their game.
At the end of the day, you’re doing what you’re meant to do. That’s powerful. Just keep an eye on the landscape, keep your people informed, and keep that humor razor-sharp. If anything, your work might end up being more important in these times.
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“Once Upon a Grift”
(A Billionaire Bedtime Story)
[Verse 1]
Once upon a golden hill,
A kingdom rose, but what a thrill!
King Elon drew some fancy plans,
But oops! He built them all on sand.
[Verse 2]
Duke Donnie tried to buy a throne,
Then sued himself—he lost his own!
Musk sold tickets to the sky,
But the rocket went—whoosh!—then waved goodbye!
[Chorus]
Round and round, the money goes,
Where it stops, well, no one knows!
Build it up, knock it down,
Welcome to their circus town!
[Verse 3]
Elon made a paywall scheme,
“Just $8 bucks and you can dream!”
But when folks stopped paying in,
He charged them just to log back in.
[Verse 4]
Donnie built a golden wall,
That wasn’t built at all!
Then he waved a Bible high,
It burst in flames and waved goodbye!
[Chorus]
Round and round, the money goes,
Where it stops, well, no one knows!
Build it up, knock it down,
Welcome to their circus town!
[Bridge] (dramatic, with a spoken word break?)
“My spaceship’s bigger!”
“No, my hands are!”
“I’ve got followers!”
“Well, I’ve got lawyers!”
And so they bickered, day and night,
Two little kings who lost their might.
[Verse 5]
Musk declared, “Mars is our fate!”
Then got distracted… bought a crate.
Inside was Twitter, old and blue,
He set it on fire, then charged folks, too.
[Verse 6]
Donnie launched his NFT,
A hundred bucks to stare at he!
But when the banks came knocking loud,
He blamed it all upon the crowd.
[Chorus]
Round and round, the money goes,
Where it stops, well, no one knows!
Build it up, knock it down,
Welcome to their circus town!
[Outro]
The kingdom fell, the people laughed,
The golden towers turned to chaff.
And while they fought for who’s on top,
The world moved on—no need to stop.
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“Sandbox Kings”
(Little Hands, Little Minds)
[Verse 1]
Two little boys in a great big yard,
Both wanna be the big ol’ star.
One builds high, one builds wide,
Then they kick each other’s side!
[Chorus]
“Little hands, little minds,
Throwing fits, wasting time!
Wah-wah-wah, cry all day,
Build it up, then throw it away!”
[Verse 2]
Donnie made a wall so tall,
Elon laughed and dug a hole.
“I’m the king!” “No, I am too!”
“Mommy, he’s mean!” “No, I hate you!”
[Chorus]
“Little hands, little minds,
Throwing fits, wasting time!
Mine is bigger! Mine is taller!
Build it up, then make it smaller!”
[Bridge] (dramatic meltdown section)
“Fake sand! Stolen castle!”
“Elon, you are such a hassle!”
“You can’t leave Earth without my say!”
“Well, I’m building a spaceship anyway!”
[Verse 3]
Musk brought bots to boost his clout,
Then banned the ones who called him out.
Donnie lost his fancy plane,
Blamed the deep state, sued the rain!
[Chorus]
“Little hands, little minds,
Throwing fits, wasting time!
Wah-wah-wah, cry all day,
Build it up, then throw it away!”
[Outro]
The world moves on, they scream and shout,
But no one cares what they’re crying about.
Two little boys with their little toys,
Forever trapped in a world of noise.
“Little hands, little minds,
Lost in tantrums, left behind.”
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“100 Years from Now”
(The Lost Kings of Nowhere)
[Verse 1]
A hundred years from now, my friend,
Will their names be known again?
Two men fought to rule the land,
Built on dust, built on sand.
[Chorus]
“Time moves on, names fade fast,
Only fools think power lasts.”
[Verse 2]
The museum guide dusts off a page,
“They called this the Billionaire Age.”
“They fought for gold, they fought for fame,”
“But now, no one recalls their names.”
[Chorus]
“Time moves on, names fade fast,
Only fools think power lasts.”
[Verse 3]
One bought towers, one sold lies,
One played God, one played king-size.
They swore they’d rule, they’d never fall,
But time don’t listen, time takes all.
[Bridge] (spoken, like reading from an ancient book)
“They built their empires, reached for the sky,
Made their promises, lived their lies.”
“But history swallowed them whole one day…
Like empires before, they faded away.”
[Outro]
No statues stand, no songs remain,
Just dust and echoes of their name.
A hundred years from now, my friend,
Will their names be known again?
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“I Never Said That… But I Did”
(In Their Own Words)
[Verse 1]
“I know all the best people,” he said,
“I hire only the top of the line.”
But when the charges came rolling in,
“Never met him,” was the company line.
[Chorus]
“Oh, the biggest words, the best words,”
“Change tomorrow, didn’t you hear?”
“Yesterday’s truth is today’s confusion,”
“But don’t you dare ask why, my dear!”
[Verse 2]
“AI will end the world,” he cried,
“It must be stopped at all costs!”
Then he opened his checkbook wide,
“Put my name at the top of the boss!”
[Chorus]
“Oh, the biggest words, the best words,”
“Change tomorrow, didn’t you hear?”
“Yesterday’s truth is today’s confusion,”
“But don’t you dare ask why, my dear!”
[Bridge] (Rapid-fire contradictions over a steady beat, spoken or sung?)
“I never settle!” → (Paid a billion in fines!)
“I built that wall!” → (It fell behind!)
“Twitter’s free!” → (Now it’s pay-to-play!)
“The best words!” → (Change every day!)
[Verse 3]
“I never lose, I always win,”
“I am the chosen one, you know!”
But one went bankrupt, one got banned,
And now their castles start to show…
[Chorus]
“Oh, the biggest words, the best words,”
“Change tomorrow, didn’t you hear?”
“Yesterday’s truth is today’s confusion,”
“But don’t you dare ask why, my dear!”
[Outro]
They talk in circles, round and round,
Tomorrow’s truth is buried down.
“I never said that… but I did,”
Gone with the wind, without a sound.
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“Pray, Pay, and Obey”
the prompt for this was:
A full gospel choir hymn (with dramatic organ and call-and-response)
(The Gospel of Don & The Church of the Holy Grift)
[Verse 1]
Come, my children, bow your heads,
Send your tithes in crypto threads.
The prophet speaks, the savior tweets,
“Kneel before the holy seat!”
[Chorus] (Hymn-like chant, slow and dramatic)
“Hallelujah, send more cash,
Bow to gold, forget the past!
Pray, pay, and obey,
The Church of the Holy Grift is here to stay!”
[Verse 2]
“Thou shalt not question, doubt, or stray,”
“Thou shalt pay me every day.”
“Thou shalt praise me when I fail,”
“For I shall rise! (Right after bail.)”
[Chorus] (Bigger, gospel-style choir swelling up)
“Hallelujah, send more cash,
Bow to gold, forget the past!
Pray, pay, and obey,
The Gospel of Don is the only way!”
[Bridge] (Dramatic, spoken-word preacher style, organs in the background?)
“They said they’d build a promised land,”
“Turns out it’s just a rental plan.”
“The temple doors are locked up tight,”
“The preacher’s plane took off last night.”
[Verse 3] (Soft, reflective, fading out like a fading cult…)
“Elon’s got the keys to Mars,”
“Donnie’s selling trading cards.”
“Bow your heads, don’t make a peep,”
“The holy tweets put you to sleep.”
[Outro] (Final prayer… then silence.)
“Hallelujah, praise the show…”
“Son of a Bitch, where’d the money go?”
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Here is the prompt I used:
A full gospel choir hymn (with dramatic organ and call-and-response)
Final Version: “Blessings to the Bearer”
(A Gospel Hymn of Gold Meme Coin)
[Verse 1] (Solemn, reverent, soft organ intro)
Before the age of paper lies,
There was a token, bright and wise.
Held by sages, kings, and fools,
Yet only the chosen knew its rules.
[Chorus] (Big gospel choir, full energy, swelling harmonies)
“Blessings to the bearer true,
The Gold Meme Coin will carry you!
Hold it high, walk in grace,
Prosperity shines upon your face!”
[Verse 2] (Building intensity, preacher-like call-and-response)
“Touch the coin, your burdens fade,” (Amen!)
“Let its golden light be laid.” (Oh, yes!)
“Riches come, the path is set,” (Mmm-hmm!)
“The doubters toil, but you’ll forget.” (Tell it now!)
[Chorus] (Even bigger, with layered harmonies and hand-claps)
“Blessings to the bearer true,
The Gold Meme Coin will carry you!
Hold it high, walk in grace,
Prosperity shines upon your face!”
[Bridge] (Dramatic breakdown, preacher-style spoken section, swelling organ in background)
“Woe to the doubter, empty-hand fool,”
“The Gold Meme Coin rewrites the rule.”
“They mocked, they scoffed, they cast it down,”
“Yet now they beg to wear its crown!”
[Verse 3] (Final, triumphant, full gospel power unleashed)
“They laughed at gold, they mocked its glow,”
“But now they kneel, for they must know!”
“A trinket small? A jest, a game?”
“Yet empires rise upon its name!”
[Final Chorus] (Key change! Choir soars! Organs wail!)
“Blessings to the bearer true,
The Gold Meme Coin will carry you!
Hold it high, walk in grace,
Prosperity shines upon your face!”
[Outro] (Fading into sacred echoes, choir humming, organ softens…)
“Blessings… blessings… to the bearer…”
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…and now, it’s time to board the Bardo bus once again, for video parts unknown!
See You At The Top!!!
gorby