La La La: Kids’ Song About The 99 Percent Stirs Up Controversy

There’s been discussion brewing In The Blogs™ about “Part of the 99 Percent,” a song about the Occupy movement from the point of view of someone who was once a “1 Percenter,” lost all her (or, whatever, his) money, then became part of the 99 percent and found happiness and clarity. The song was created in conjunction with “Kid Pan Alley,” a non-profit organization that “uses the group songwriting process to inspire and empower children to become creators of their own music, not just consumers of popular culture,” and written, the school says, by third graders themselves, with neither censorship nor intervention by Kid Pan Alley or their teachers.

Here are the lyrics:

Some people have it all, but they still don’t think they have enough

I’m so happy to be part of the 99

I realize we’ve been conditioned to think that “money can’t buy happiness.” But. Have we really tested that? Can I test that? I’m willing to bet this crumpled cup of microwave ramen that it can buy a bit of happiness in the form of increased comfort, security, independence and peace of mind. And yachts. Full of diamonds.

What’s interesting, to me at least, is that this song seems to reflect the idea that one can’t be both rich and happy when, really, the lesson here is that one can’t expect to live in a tunnel of one’s own making and be happy. Where and how did kids get this idea? (The Muppets, probably.) It really makes me hope that adults didn’t help them out with this, because it reflects a very simplistic view of wealth and the Occupy movement.

And there are so many songs and other works of art out there that convey a similar message — like being sure not to focus on obtaining wealth and material goods at the expense of people, relationships or the earth — quite beautifully and effectively. Cat’s in the Cradle? Big Yellow Taxi? They stick with you and their messages resonate on a very personal level (over decades, at that) without having to be (too) heavy-handed or cloying. It’s interesting to see how children have interpreted this message on their own.

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I would love to have actually witnessed the creative process behind this song. Did adults have any say, at all, in its content? Did any child or group of children voice concern or disagreement with the song’s focus or lyrics? Who first pitched the idea of making an Occupy song, and how did others react? Surely it can’t be the case that all these kids wanted to write this song, right?

Fox News Radio’s Todd Starnes did point out the following, though:

However, Kid Pan Alley issued a statement to NewsPlex.com expressing concern about the song.

“Last November, when the Kid Pan Alley Board of Directors was made aware of the song in question, we took swift action to clarify our guidelines for lyrical content,” the statement read.

Have a look at this report about some of the controversy surrounding this little ditty, via a local CBS affiliate. And let me know what you think of the song:

h/t BuzzFeed & Radio.FoxNews.com

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.