Cookie Jar

It was kinda interesting to see a political cartoon the other day that said at the top "New Hurricane Storm Approaching". The tips of the clouds were made out of fingers and at the center the hurricane said "BLAME".

Do we really have to start pointing fingers? Honestly. We've got more important things to do. The victims of Hurricane Katrine, Rita, and now possibly one called Wilma, are being referred to refugees. And that's what these poor people literally are; they have been forced to flee from homes they might never see again. We've got not just a national tragedy, but an actual crisis. An emergency. And let's not even bring up the HIV/AIDS pandemic that continues to sweep thousands of Africans daily in one fell swoop, as well as the recent Pakistani earthquake. This is our time, America! And here we are wasting time saying who's at fault for the problems. Are you kidding me? Grow up!

"Cookie Jar" by Jack Johnson—from "On and On" (2003)
I would turn on the TV, but it's so embarrassing
To see all the other people
I don't know what they mean.
And it was magic at first when they spoke without sound
but now this world is gonna hurt
You better turn that thing down,
Turn it around.

"Well it wasn't me," says the boy with the gun.
"Sure, I pulled the trigger, but it needed to be done
Because life's been killin' me ever since it begun
You can't blame me, 'cause I'm too young."

"You cant blame me—sure, the killer was my son
But I didn't teach him to pull the trigger of the gun
It's the killing on his TV screen
You can't blame me, it's those images he sees."

"Well, you can't blame me," says the media man
"Well, I wasn't the one that came up with the plan.
And I just point my camera at what the people wanna see
Man, it's a two way mirror, and you can't blame me."

"You can't blame me," says the singer of the song
Or the maker of the movie which he based his life on.
"It's only entertainment, and as anyone can see
It's smoke machines and make-up: man, you can't fool me."

It was you, it was me, it was every man
We've all got the blood on our hands
We only receive what we demand
And if we want hell, then hell is what we'll have.

And I would turn on the TV,
But it's so embarrassing
To see all the other people
Don't even know what they mean.
And it was magic at first
But it let everyone down
Now this world is gonna hurt
You better turn it around
Turn it around.

P.S. As a sidenote, I used to wonder why this song was called "Cookie Jar". Then while I was on a commentary site I read one theory that sounds very reasonable. Remember that kindergarten/"Barney" song that goes "[Blank] took the cookies from the cookie jar! (Who, me?) Yes, you! (Couldn't be!) Then who?" and so on. It's the classic age-old blame game. And if this is really the reasoning behind the title, then in my book that only serves further proof of Jack's lyrical and musical genius.