Big Kayfabe

The word “kayfabe” refers to the theater, the play acting, in professional wrestling matches. These spectacles in the ring are staged, most of the audience attendance knows this, and they love it. The word is pronounced kay-FAY-bee.

Journalists noticed that Trump’s campaign rallies were reminiscent of pro wrestling events. Hulk Hogan was a frequent warm up act at events where Trump pumped himself up like a a contender in an upcoming, epic match. Trump has also floated Linda McMahon, a former wrestler and co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, as the next Secretary of Education.

In the mid 1960’s, I used to watch the Saturday morning live broadcasts of wrestling shows on a Pittsburgh TV station. Bruno Sammartino and Gorilla Monsoon made regular appearances.

I wrote this lyric last week in a Belfast hotel room. We had played there on Thursday the 23rd, and stayed an extra day when a storm caused our next show to cancel. I took a swing at writing music for it, but realized on Sunday in another hotel room in Cork, that you can sing it to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”, which seems like a better fit. If the news from DC depresses you like it does me, try singing it yourself.

Big Kayfabe (lyric by Tim O’Brien)

When big Kayfabe came to town

I guess he improvised

He repeated things that people say

And gilded them with lies

He saw the unease mounting

Brewing through the years

And he got a big reaction

By playing on their fears

   I guess they heard a story

   They wanted to believe

   They turned their eyes away from

   What they did not want to see

When Bruno Sammartino

Faced Gorilla the Monsoon

Gorilla played the bad guy

And Bruno hung the moon

But to reinforce illusion

To sell folks on the deal

Sometimes they let Gorilla win

To make it seem more real

   I guess they heard a story

   That wanted to believe

   They turned their eyes away from

   What they did not want to see

DJ’s not a wrestler

But he wears the villain’s grin

He won two times out of three

He’ll never win again

He left law and order

To rot up on the shelf

When he pardoned all the sixers

He was pardoning himself

   Still they heard a story

   They wanted to believe

   They still turn their eyes away from

   What they do not want to see

The stories that I like the most

Are ones that don’t resolve

They’re realistic puzzles

No one will ever solve

‘Cause life is really like that

It’s rarely cut and dry

It always asks a question

It makes you wonder why

   I guess they heard a story

   They wanted to believe

   They turned their eyes away from

   What they did not want to see