Hand Thrown Tomatoes

Hand Thrown Tomatoes
by Dennis Higgins
with apologies to Guy Clark
sung to the tune of "Home Grown Tomatoes"

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Registration's up and nobody's votin'
There's a big tax burden we've been a totin'
Put the big money here and favors come out there
It's enough to make taxpayers pull out their hair

So we all got together and signed some petitions
They made sixteen thousand omissions
In the back rooms who knows what's been a cookin'
The people own the city but you wouldn't know by lookin' ... that ...

- chorus -
You own the City, We own the City
And what's been happenin' ain't very pretty
There's only two things that money shouldn't buy
And that's true love and the City of Austin!

TV commercials and signs cost money
The big bucks ain't coming from the Easter Bunny
Big mouth promises drippin' with honey
Consultants 'n boondoggles ain't very funny

If you're tired of corruption, then let's rearrange it
Cut off the big bucks and then we can change it
We all love Austin and it's not for sale
If you try to buy elections
We're gonna raise some hell! ... 'cause ...

- chorus -
You own the City, We own the City
And what's been happenin' ain't very pretty
There's only two things that money shouldn't buy
And that's true love and the City of Austin!