Why'd you like Roosevelt* (1)? Wasn't no kin.
Why'd you like Roosevelt? Wasn't no kin.
Why'd you like Roosevelt? Wasn't no kin.
Lord God almighty! Was a poor man's friend.
Year of nineteen forty-five,
A good president laid down and died.
I knew how all of the poor people felt.
They received the message: "We lost Roosevelt."
In his life there were all indications
That [at] Warm Springs, Georgia, he received salvation.
Listen, friend, but don't you rush:
Elizabeth Shoumatoff (2), she grabbed a brush,
Dipped it in water, and began to paint,
Looked at the president and began to think.
She never painted a picture for him at night.
She knew that the president didn't look right.
The time of day it was twelve o'clock.
Tell me that Elizabeth had to stop.
Good God almighty! She started too late.
That's why they call this that unfinished portrait.
A little bit later, about one thirty,
He had a cerebral hemorrhage and the world looked muddy.
They called Atlanta, Washington, too.
Like zigzag lightning the call went through.
They called long distant to notify his wife.
Doctor Bruin (3) said he died at three thirty-five.
Great God almighty! Wasn't no bells to tone.
Less than thirty minutes the world was in mourn,
And I cried about Roosevelt.
I cried about Roosevelt.
I cried about Roosevelt
Well, Roosevelt's administration Congress assembled.
First time in history part of the Negro general
General Benjamin O. Davis (4) I'm trying to relate,
First Negro general of the United States.
And after Dorie Miller (5) had shown his skill,
They kept a-sending him to sea until he got killed.
Roosevelt said, "I'll back the attack,"
'Pointed a Negro captain over white and black.
This qualified man was Humo Zack (?)***.
Racial prejudice he tried to rule out,
Invited Negro leaders into the White House.
He advocated the fair practice of labor
To let the poor man know he was our emancipator.
Made Madame Bethune (6) a lady of the land.
He made part of his will to Mister Prettyman.**
He endorsed inventions of Doctor Washington Carver.
This is why that I said he was our earthly father,
'Cause he took my feet out of the miry clay.
Haven't had to look back at the WPA (7).
That is why I like Roosevelt,
Why I like Roosevelt,
Why I like Roosevelt.
Well, Hoover(8)'s administration Congress assembled.
All of the poor folk began to tremble.
The rich would ride in the automobile.
Depression made poor people rob and steal.
Well, look next door to...[unintelligible]...
… getting anything for their hard labor.
Great God almighty! They were moonshine stillin',
Brought about a crime wave, robbin' and killin'.
After Hoover had made the poor man moan,
Roosevelt stepped in, gave us a comfortable home.
It was sad about Roosevelt,
Sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Well, I've told you the hist'ry of Roosevelt's life.
Now he's done with his grief and strife.
Great God almighty! But he left a sweet wife,
Had been so worried since she was a girl,
After Roosevelt's death what would become of the world?
She notified her son across the sea:
"Don't get worried about poor me,
But keep on fighting for victory.
Your father is dead, boy; you're all a-grown.
Would worry 'bout your father but the world's in mourn.
It was sad about Roosevelt,
Sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Well, God almighty knew just what was best.
He knew that the president he needed a rest.
His battle done fought, victory done won,
Our problems have just begun.
Your burden get heavy and you don't know what to do,
Call on Jesus; he's a president too.
It's sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Lord God almighty! Was a poor man's friend.
Why'd you like Roosevelt? Wasn't no kin.
Why'd you like Roosevelt? Wasn't no kin.
Lord God almighty! Was a poor man's friend.
Year of nineteen forty-five,
A good president laid down and died.
I knew how all of the poor people felt.
They received the message: "We lost Roosevelt."
In his life there were all indications
That [at] Warm Springs, Georgia, he received salvation.
Listen, friend, but don't you rush:
Elizabeth Shoumatoff (2), she grabbed a brush,
Dipped it in water, and began to paint,
Looked at the president and began to think.
She never painted a picture for him at night.
She knew that the president didn't look right.
The time of day it was twelve o'clock.
Tell me that Elizabeth had to stop.
Good God almighty! She started too late.
That's why they call this that unfinished portrait.
A little bit later, about one thirty,
He had a cerebral hemorrhage and the world looked muddy.
They called Atlanta, Washington, too.
Like zigzag lightning the call went through.
They called long distant to notify his wife.
Doctor Bruin (3) said he died at three thirty-five.
Great God almighty! Wasn't no bells to tone.
Less than thirty minutes the world was in mourn,
And I cried about Roosevelt.
I cried about Roosevelt.
I cried about Roosevelt
Well, Roosevelt's administration Congress assembled.
First time in history part of the Negro general
General Benjamin O. Davis (4) I'm trying to relate,
First Negro general of the United States.
And after Dorie Miller (5) had shown his skill,
They kept a-sending him to sea until he got killed.
Roosevelt said, "I'll back the attack,"
'Pointed a Negro captain over white and black.
This qualified man was Humo Zack (?)***.
Racial prejudice he tried to rule out,
Invited Negro leaders into the White House.
He advocated the fair practice of labor
To let the poor man know he was our emancipator.
Made Madame Bethune (6) a lady of the land.
He made part of his will to Mister Prettyman.**
He endorsed inventions of Doctor Washington Carver.
This is why that I said he was our earthly father,
'Cause he took my feet out of the miry clay.
Haven't had to look back at the WPA (7).
That is why I like Roosevelt,
Why I like Roosevelt,
Why I like Roosevelt.
Well, Hoover(8)'s administration Congress assembled.
All of the poor folk began to tremble.
The rich would ride in the automobile.
Depression made poor people rob and steal.
Well, look next door to...[unintelligible]...
… getting anything for their hard labor.
Great God almighty! They were moonshine stillin',
Brought about a crime wave, robbin' and killin'.
After Hoover had made the poor man moan,
Roosevelt stepped in, gave us a comfortable home.
It was sad about Roosevelt,
Sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Well, I've told you the hist'ry of Roosevelt's life.
Now he's done with his grief and strife.
Great God almighty! But he left a sweet wife,
Had been so worried since she was a girl,
After Roosevelt's death what would become of the world?
She notified her son across the sea:
"Don't get worried about poor me,
But keep on fighting for victory.
Your father is dead, boy; you're all a-grown.
Would worry 'bout your father but the world's in mourn.
It was sad about Roosevelt,
Sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Well, God almighty knew just what was best.
He knew that the president he needed a rest.
His battle done fought, victory done won,
Our problems have just begun.
Your burden get heavy and you don't know what to do,
Call on Jesus; he's a president too.
It's sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt,
Mmm, sad about Roosevelt.
Lord God almighty! Was a poor man's friend.
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(1) Franklin Delano Roosevelt menzionato anche come Franklin D. Roosevelt o solo con le iniziali FDR (Hyde Park, 30 gennaio 1882 – Warm Springs, 12 aprile 1945) è stato un politico statunitense, 32º presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America dal 1933 al 1945.
Figura centrale del XX secolo, è stato l'unico presidente degli Stati Uniti a essere eletto per più di due mandati consecutivi, vincendo le elezioni presidenziali per quattro volte (1932, 1936, 1940, 1944), rimanendo in carica dal 1933 fino alla sua morte, nell'aprile del 1945, poco dopo l'inizio del quarto mandato.
Larga parte della sua fama è dovuta al vasto e radicale programma di riforme economiche e sociali attuato fra il 1933 e il 1937, conosciuto con il nome di New Deal, grazie al quale gli Stati Uniti riuscirono a superare la grande depressione dei primi anni trenta. Fra le sue più importanti innovazioni vanno ricordati il Social Security Act — con il quale vennero introdotte per la prima volta negli Stati Uniti l'assistenza sociale e le indennità di disoccupazione e vecchiaia — e la creazione della Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), l'Agenzia federale per il controllo del mercato azionario. (Wikipedia)
(2) Elizabeth Shoumatoff
Elizabeth Shoumatoff, née Avinova, (December 19, 1888 – November 30, 1980) was a portrait painter who painted the Unfinished portrait of Franklin D. Roosevelt .( Wikipedia )
(3) Howard G. Bruenn [Bruenn =Bruin ] (1905 – July 25, 1995) was an American medical doctor who served as Physician to the President and attended to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the year before his death. (Wikipedia)
(4) Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. (July 1, 1877 – November 26, 1970) was a career officer in the United States Army. One of the few black officers in an era when American society was largely segregated, in 1940 he was promoted to brigadier general, the army's first African American general officer. (Wikipedia)
(5) Doris Miller (Waco, 12 ottobre 1919 – Oceano Pacifico, 24 novembre 1943) è stato un militare statunitense. Per il coraggio dimostrato durante l'attacco di Pearl Harbor divenne il primo afroamericano ad essere insignito della Navy Cross[1], all'epoca la terza più alta decorazione militare statunitense. (Wikipedia)
(6) Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) used the power of education, political activism, and civil service to achieve racial and gender equality throughout the United States and the world. The first person in her family born free and the first person in her family afforded a formal education, Bethune emerged from abject poverty and oppression of the Reconstruction South to achieve greatness.
Fonte :Mary McLeod Bethune - National Park Service (.gov)
https://www.nps.gov › learn › m..
(7) WPA Works Progress Administration
La Works Progress Administration (ribattezzata nel corso del 1939, Work Projects Administration; WPA) - Creata per decreto del presidente Franklin Delano Roosevelt, la WPA è stata la più grande agenzia del New Deal che diede lavoro a milioni di persone nella costruzione di opere pubbliche, come edifici, strade e nella realizzazione di grandi progetti nelle arti, teatro, media e alfabetizzazione. Sfamò bambini e distribuì alimenti, vestiti e alloggi. Quasi ogni comunità negli Stati Uniti d'America ha un parco, un ponte o una scuola costruiti dalla WPA, soprattutto negli Stati occidentali e tra le popolazioni rurali. Per questi aiuti tra il 1936 e il 1939 spese circa 7 miliardi di dollari.(Wikipedia)
(8) Herbert Clark Hoover (West Branch, 10 agosto 1874 – New York, 20 ottobre 1964) è stato un politico statunitense, 31º Presidente degli Stati Uniti d'America, dal 1929 al 1933.
Predecessore di FDR
Si trovò a fronteggiare la fase acuta della grande depressione, ovvero immediatamente successiva ai fallimenti che colpirono gli istituti finanziari e le imprese all'indomani del giovedì nero. Dapprima favorevole a un approccio "psicologico" alla crisi, convinto che i problemi del paese dipendessero dalla scarsa fiducia nell'avvenire (e poi da cause esogene agli USA), essendosi speso in annunci rassicuranti sulla situazione economica, maturò in seguito, nell'inverno 1931-1932 con l'aggravamento della crisi, la convinzione in un progetto di intervento più complesso.
La sua reazione, tuttavia, fu volta più che al sostegno diretto alle classi disagiate, ad una strategia di supporto ai gruppi finanziari e alle amministrazioni, negando sempre l'aumento dell'assistenza sociale ai disoccupati e gli interventi volti a mitigare gli effetti della crisi a beneficio delle famiglie e delle classi lavoratrici. (Wikipedia)
* The same recording appears on other albums under the title FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, A POOR MAN'S FRIEND.
** Arthur Prettyman was FDR's valet.
*** I can't identify this person—possibly misspelled.