2020 MABA, "Sympathy for the Donald" (self-released)

Gah, I know—two Rolling Stones-related posts on consecutive days. I promise this will be the last one of 2020... unless somebody in the band dies. But this parody song riffing on the Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil" is too timely and clever to not let slide by your besieged ears. (While we're talking about "Sympathy" covers, do yourself a favor and check out Stones backing vocalist Bernard Fowler's radical reinvention of it here.)

To the song at hand... The creators in 2020 MABA emphasize that it "DOES NOT support any specific political party or special interest group," but it "DOES support bringing dignity and integrity back into our great country." Fine, but no need to be coy, y'all: We have a dementia-riddled Russian asset with no empathy or intelligence in the White House. Fire all of your guns at once, pull no punches.

Musically, the band does a serviceable job recreating the bustling tension and seething rhythmic undertow of the original—though it could use more maracas. But this is mainly about the lyrical revisions (by "some guy from New Jersey"), and here the parodists periodically shine. 2020 MABA capture Trump's arrogance, callousness, mendacity, and diabolical dictator worship. Sample verses: "Still in office despite all your names/Ah, what perplexes you is how I play my games"; "I tweeted out 'Don't believe the fake news'/When all the times it was yours and mine"; "If you despise me it's your liberal way/And your disarray that makes me stay"; interjecting "Go down Stormy" instead of "Get down hit it"; etc. I wish this song hit harder, but I'll take whatever catharsis I can get in 2020.