Since the spitzer news, this song has been stuck in my head: Why are all our heroes so imperfect

[La Lioness Priyanka]

from jill sobule

Why are all our heroes so imperfect
Why do they always bring me down
Why are all our heroes so imperfect
The statue in the park has lost his crown

William Faulkner drunk and depressed
Dorothy Parker mean, drunk and depressed
And that guy in Seven Years in Tibet
turned out to be a nazi
The founding fathers all had slaves,
the explorers slaughtered the braves,
The Old Testament God can be so petty

Paul McCartney jealous of John,
even more so now that he's gone
Dylan was so mean to Donovan in that movie
Pablo Picasso cruel to his wives
My favorite poets took their own lives
Orson Welles peaked at 25, ballooned before our eyes
and he sold bad wine

Heard Babe Ruth was full of malice
Lewis Carroll I'm sure did Alice
Plato in the cave with those very young boys
TS Elliott hated Jews, FDR didn't save the Jews
All the French joined the resistance after the war
Raymond Chandler drunk and depressed
Tennessee Williams drunk and depressed
Think I'll just get drunk and depressed.

[CreekDog]

1. Because they are human

And none of us is born with more superior morals than anyone else.

As you gain power, the things forbidden to most become easier to get.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. yeah i know. still the minute i saw it the song sort of flashed in my head

and stayed there

[madinmaryland]

2. What Spitzer news?? (Is this the NY governor?)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. yup. check lbn. skinner posted

[madinmaryland]

5. I just got back from a meeting, and yours was the first one I saw about it.

I just got back from Skinner's, so I got it now.

:(

[intaglio]

6. Heroes are humans

No more, no less that is why they are heroes. Trouble is that today heroes are expected to be Demigods.

In past times the faults of the hero were in stark contrast to their heroism.
Cuchulaine was subject to killing furies which is how he killed his son;
Beowulf could not see that others feared their own mortality and was vengeful to boot;
Arthur, unable to forgive Lancelot and unable to see the flaws in Mordred;
Lancelot, unable to master his own passion;

[siligut]

7. Nice.

The clarity and light you give to a complex and difficult subject is beautiful, thank you.

[Westegg]

8. Never heard this song. It's a damn good poem!...

..."Dylan was so mean to Donovan in that movie." Wow, that's superb. I would also add-- not to diminish the song in any way--

Dylan belittled that science student
Whose questions seemed nerdy and dull
But that very same student formed Chrysalis Records
and went on to sign Jethro Tull.

[hisownpetard]

9. Song playing in my head: Love Potion #9