STILL DEAD by Dennis Doph

because why? 23

Why did they insist on making a big deal
Out of that fat Scottish bitch with the golden throat?
There was nothing about her that was For Real
Aretha has plenty of cause to gloat
Because she's the biggest (in every way) black superstar
Because she leaves a huge dent where she sat
Because she really reflects what we were and what we are
Because she insists on wearing that God-damned hat
We can all reflect back on Mella Ella
Sweet dark mango with very little bite
Tone like a bronzed and beautiful cello
A damn fine way to spend the night
Carmen McRae had lots of presence
Plenty above and a lot beneath
Lil Green was the absolute essence
Of a babe with bite and rotten teeth
Little Richard is kind of a hick
With a promise of Pow in his peg leg pants
If you think I'm laying it on kind of thick
You should have watched Bojangles dance
The point of this is: they were all black
All proud of their history and race
All of them had talent and none of them did crack
None of them tried to rearrange their face
So while the dumb-asses are buying souvenir t-shirts
Please reflect on some of the things I've said
Something very spooky is something
to which I say: Nerts.
And Michael Jackson is still dead.

You'd think Jean Harlow was alive and kickin
Norma Shearer really knew how to make those wall eyes pay
Roz Russell was always ready to get another lick in
Doris could never bore us any Day
Marilyn could always give us a helluva boner
With that sweet little voice always out of breath
Jean Arthur met Bill Holden in Arizona
And they scared all of the heterosexuals to death
Rita Hayworth threw her red hair back over her shoulders
Kneeling with her thighs open on George Macready's bed
John Wayne was built like a stack of boulders
....and, oh! In case you realize they are all dead
They are all dead but their essence is with us
Not mushing around in some TV gloamin'
Camus would have imposed the Myth of Sisyphus
On someone who tried to make himself over
to look like Ruth Roman
So beware of bleach creams and pre-pubescent pals
Or of having a talent that simply doesn't resonate
Or of renting out one of your doctor's gals
Or of trying to be anything but the thing you hate

Ella will riff the A Train forever
Sarah Vaughan will slide right up to High C
What they were would escape them never
They never tried to be what they never could be
Because their talents were never found wantin
Their seats are still warm in those Hallowed Halls
They were never addicted to oxycontin
They never tried to grab their non-existent balls
Gene Kelly could dance 'cause he has the training
The state of his testicles was never in doubt
Astaire's star will never be waxing or waning
And at least
Doris finally persuaded Rock Hudson to come out
They were all proud to take what they were and wear it
There was never any question about their sex
But Michael Jackson is like
Monty Python's Dead Parrot
The state of his existence is decidedly:
Ex.