R.I.A.A.

[Boot]

Satire about the greedy Recording Industry Association of America's lawsuits against 261 individuals who downloaded on-line music - including a 12 year girl and a 90 year old man

http://bootnewt.tripod.com/riaa.htm

R.I.A.A.
Sung to the tune of "Y.M.C.A." by The Village People)
Parody by Boot

Click HERE for MIDI music

As sung by R.I.A.A. lawyers to a hapless teenaged music downloader:

(instrumental intro)

Young man... we have hunted you down!
We say, young man... you can't hide underground.
We say, young man... song downloads have been found.
Boy, are we - real-ly un-happy!

Young man... there's no place you can go!
We say, young man... don't plead you're short of dough.
We'll create fear... and extort from your kind.
We have ways - to - track - your - theft crime...

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We want everything; crooks, we aim to destroy.
We can hang girls, too; not just boys!

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
You had better come clean.
'Cause with us, you must deal.
You can't - do - whatever to steal.

Young man... you can't listen for free.
We say, young man... we want our royalties
We say, young man... CD audio streams
That you got - you - owe - us something!

No man... is law unto himself.
We say, young man... burned CD's on your shelf,
Bought from "nowhere" - we're the R.I.A.A.
You must pay! Don't yelp, or make hay...

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We want everything; crooks we aim to destroy.
We can hang girls, too; not just boys!

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
You had better come clean.
'Cause with us, you must deal.
You can't - do - whatever to steal.

Young man... you've got legal issues.
We say, because, downloads gave us the blues.
We said, "Oh, man! We'll be buried alive.
We'll sue - the whole world - to - survive."

So then... no more downloads for free!
Drop dead, young man! You've been caught tryin' to cheat.
You must face us; we're the R.I.A.A.
So be smart - pay - back - as we say...

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We want everything; crooks we aim to destroy.
We can hang girls, too; not just boys!

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
You had better come clean.
'Cause with us, you must deal.
You can't - do - whatever to steal.

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We want everything; crooks we aim to destroy.
We can hang girls, too; not just boys!

We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
We'll make you pay; we're the R.I.A.A.
You had better come clean.
'Cause with us, you must deal.
You can't - do - whatever to steal.

R.I.A.A.
R.I.A.A.
R.I.A.A.
R.I.A.A.

(fade)
===================================================================
THE BOOT NEWT SING ALONG BLOG SPOT
http://bootnewt.blogspot.com

[wtmusic]

1. Cute

Someone else who thinks musicians should work for free.

[BlueJazz]

3. Most bands don't.....

make beans off of recordings...They make dough from performing.
I was on a top single years ago and didn't get shit for money but make a few bucks playing live.
The recording conglomerates make damn sure that when young bands sign on the dotted line
that "recording costs" will usually equal record sales.

[wtmusic]

4. What about the songwriters?

I guess they should work for free too.

[Japhy_Ryder]

5. Do you really think the RIAA...

has the interests of the artists in mind? I'd happily pay for downloads if I knew the money was bypassing the record companies and going right to the artist. The RIAA serves the record companies, not the musicians. I agree that artists shouldn't work for free but I have no sympathy for Sony and the RIAA. Don't think for a second that a musician will see one cent of the profit from these lawsuits.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[BlueJazz]

7. The song writers are usually in the band anyway.

Also the song writers who write stuff for "Main Acts" Like
Shitney Spears are paid on a year to year contract deal.

Oh, I'll agree that the whole deal is not entirely fair but this
is the modern world and downloading songs and such will continue...the Box (Pandora's) has been opened.

I mean, look at the trouble Microsoft went to make sure that people
can't use Windows XP except on their own computer.
Even before the Evaluation Editions...build 2505.. expired (and the retail versions were out) Crackers had figured out a way to bypass the activation process.

I think the RIAA is just wasting their time.

[wtmusic]

8. So the issue is not whether it's right or wrong

It just comes down to how easy they are to rip off, is that it?

[Coventina]

9. So we can assume that you have never

A) Used a public library to read book you did not intend on buying
B) Made a "mix-tape" for a friend
C) Recorded a broadcast show for multiple, later viewings
D) Used a copy machine to photocopy any copyrighted material

If these statements are not true, please save us your sancimonious attitude.

on edit: spelling

[wtmusic]

10. Right

A) Borrowing from a library does not constitute copyright infringement.
B) Never made a mix tape.
C) Again, not a copyright infringement if it's for personal use.
D) Again, not a copyright infringement if it's for personal use.

Typical. Learn a little bit about copyright law before you go tossing accusations around. It has nothing to do with sanctity; it has to do with the right to be paid for your work. I guess you work for free like everyone else on this thread. If not, please save me the hypocrisy.

[Coventina]

11. Then please explain to me

the difference between checking something out from the library, and downloading something off the internet.

I'm not making any money off of either activity, both items I use only for my "personal use". What is the difference?

[wtmusic]

12. It comes from the word 'copyright'

When you download something from the internet you are making a copy of something which is stored on a server. Unless you have paid for the right to make that copy, you are breaking the law. Period. The songwriter, artist, and record company (I know, dry your tears) don't see a penny from that.

Every book in the library was purchased from a bookseller, who paid the publisher, who paid the writer, unless of course they are pirated copies of books.

Making photocopies of brief portions of books falls under the 'fair use' doctrine which was created for educational, review, and a few other limited circumstances.

[Coventina]

13. So I can buy a book and donate it to a library

to be loaned out who knows how many times, preventing people from having to buy the book themselves, that is fair use?

But if I buy an album, and put it out on my internet library for people to borrow, that is breaking the law?

Doesn't make sense to me.

[wtmusic]

14. That's correct, sort of

Again, people are not borrowing on the internet, they are making physical copies. If you want to loan your CD to your friends or donate your CD to the library you're perfectly entitled to.

This is not some scam which has been set up by record companies. It is a body of law that is based on principles that are hundreds of years old. Society has determined that it's fair for the creator of a work to be entitled to compensation when copies are made of that work. It includes music, art, architecture, trademarks, names (like Democratic Underground), inventions, poetry, and a virtually unlimited number of other creative exploits.

Your favorite film, your favorite music, your favorite book--all were made possible because somebody could afford to take the time to create them.

[Coventina]

15. We'll just have to agree to disagree

I think the distinction is hair-splitting.

CDs and tapes available for loan at libraries get copied all the time, where is the outrage over that?

Why is it okay for me to loan a CD to a friend? He may make a copy of it without my knowing!

In my eyes, record companies ARE a scam. They rip off both the artists and the consumers. I want artists to be fairly compensated. I have extensive book and record collections. But I don't consider buying used books and records "stealing" any more than I do downloading. I just don't see the difference.

[wtmusic]

16. Copies get made illegally all the time

That doesn't make it right.

Record companies are scamming artists with all kinds of technicalities to not pay them, but that's irrelevant to the copyright issue. Because record companies steal from artists, that means you can too? BTW, buying used books and records is not 'stealing'--it's perfectly legal. Someone has already been paid for that physical copy.

The upshot of this thing is that music will suck even worse than it does now. Who wants to do it if there's no money in it? Can you blame them?

[Coventina]

17. I don't want to steal from artists

That is why I regularly attend concerts and buy the t-shirts.
From what I understand, those are the revenue streams that go most directly to the artists.

But the costs of recordings are mostly to line the pockets of greedy suits. I want them to starve.

I'm voting with my $$

[mvd]

18. I don't think it is stealing, but..

I can see it as copyright infringement. I would like to see the artists have more power over their work, and I do want them compensated. That's why I've cut down my downloading and have just boycotted more. If I'm not sure about an album, I will not buy it or download singles. I have plenty of music to enjoy.

So yes, the RIAA is a bad organization. They won't let stores take back opened CDs, they rip off the artists and consumers, and they favor the big stores. So maybe file-sharing will bring prices down to what the market value is and force change within the industry. That's a good thing about it.

Loved the song. :-)

[RedSox02]

2. Not bad

Where can I download it?