My name was Richard Nixon only now I'm a girl
you wouldn't know it but I used to be the king of the world
compared to last time I look like I've hit the skids
living in the project with my two little kids
it's not what I would of chose
now you have to call me Rose
I was boss of bosses the last time around
I lived by cunning and ambition unbound
the suckers said they'd stand behind me right or wrong
as if they thought that hubris was the mark of the stong
I was an arrogant man
but now I've got it in hand
it's not what I would have chose
now you have to call me Rose
call me Rose
call me Rose
it's not what I would have chose
now you have to call me Rose
My name was Richard Nixon only now I'm a girl
you wouldn't know it but I used to be the king of the world
I'm back here learning what it is to be poor
to have no power but the strength to endure
I'll perform my penance well
maybe the memoir will sell
it's not what I would of chose
now you have to call me Rose
Musicians
BC - Vocal, 12 String Guitar
Jenny Scheinman - Violin
Colin Linden - Mandolins, Hammertones
Celia Shacklett - Harmonies
John Dymond - Bass
Gary Craig - Drums, Percussion
Editors Note:
- This song started being played in front of humans on the Slice O Life tour, 3 April 2009.
Known comments by Bruce Cockburn about this song, by date:
From the Small Source of Comfort liner notes:
Call Me Rose (Montreal 19/01/05) - "Woke up one morning with these words
pretty much fully formed in my head. Why? Indeed? Something to do with
power and responsibility. What would it take to REALLY rehabilitate, not
just the image (as the Bush folks tried to do), but the soul of Richard
Nixon?"
18 April 2010:
This is not a typical song for me as I usually write in first person and my
songs are autobiographical about stuff I do day to day. I just woke up with
this song mostly finished in my head. I don't really know where it came from…
well I have my suspicions… Remember back in one of the Bush eras where they
briefly tried to clean up Richard Nixon? Someone thought "I wonder if we can
rehabilitate Nixon's image?" and they hired a PR firm or something and found out
the answer was "NO." But for a year it was Nixon this and Nixon that. I think
this song was me trying to picture what the rehabilitation of Richard Nixon
would look like.
It's a song about a single mom living in the projects. ~ from a Humans concert notes at the Santa Cruz show, April 18, 2010
2021
"Waking up some other morning in Montreal. This song was in my head, fully formed. WTF! Why?"
~ from the liner notes of Greatest Hits (1970-2020)
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This page is part of The Cockburn Project, a unique website that exists to document the work of Canadian singer-songwriter and musician Bruce Cockburn. The Project archives self-commentary by Cockburn on his songs and music, and supplements this core part of the website with news, tour dates, and other current information.
