Mix the politcal wit of Jon Stewart, the face of Elliot Richardson, the fashion sense of Tucker Carlson and the song parody skills of Weird Al Yankovic together, and you have Mark Russell. In the 1980s, Mark Russell’s PBS specials combined biting political satire with a folksy piano-based humor. The results were catchy songs filled with more pop-culture references than the average viewer could possibly understand.
And, it occurred to me that a) you can’t find his stuff online anywhere and b) it’s perfect for Wikipedia links. So, without further ado, here’s my favorite Mark Russell song from the 1980s, which summarizes the entire decade, complete with every pop-culture reference convieniently explained through the magic of Wikipedia. Enjoy.
1980 was a rotten year
When Mount St. Helens blew.
Abscam congressmen taking bribes;
Tell me what else is new.
Inflation climbed up to the sky.
Jimmy said “Trust me, we’ll get by.”
But the hostages were the reason why
By November, old Jimmy was through.
1981 was worse with another inflation hike.
David Stockman with his budget acts,
And don’t forget the baseball strike.
But, Sandra Day O’Connor made history,
Air traffic controllers got no sympathy,
And, the new gun-lobby spokesman was John Hinkley.
That’s what 1981 was like.
Many people reached their moment of fame
Back in 1982.
Names like: De Lorean, Von Bulow, and Anne Burford Gorsuch
To mention a forgettable few.
Little E.T.’s long-distance call,
The Falklands were saved. Why? I can’t recall.
And the only survivor was Tylenol,
Back in 1982.
’83, ’83,
Hitler’s diaries and Klaus Barbie.
Grenada was where,
In the glory we’d share.
We saved Grenada
Because it was there.
’84 everybody was bettin’
On Reagan and Mary Lou Retton.
Bernard Goetz in the subway was gettin’
Target practice in friendly New York.
’85 as a year was so manic.
Philadelphia was bombed in a panic.
Over Bitburg emotions were manic,
But, at least they found the Titanic.
Speaking of Bitburg, in ’86
Kurt Waldheim’s reputation fell.
Cory Aquino took over in Manila,
Clint Eastwood, mayor of Carmel.
Rehnquist was Chief after long delay.
Andy and Fergie’s wedding day.
Our diplomacy in Libya? Bombs away!
The Iceland summit was also a bomb.
1987 was the craziest year in the decade.
It was the year that could have been.
Inside trader Ivan Boskey could’ve afforded
To keep Oral Roberts from being called home.
Fawn Hall could’ve been a movie star.
Oliver North could’ve been governor of the 51st state of Nicaragua.
Robert Bork could’ve been on the US Supreme Court.
Gary Hart should’ve stayed off the USS Monkey Business.
And the only people who behaved at all well in 1987
Were Baby M and Max Headroom:
A surrogate child and a computerized dummy.
Well, by 1988 we were all
Back on the campaign trail.
The was the anthropology of Jimmy the Greek
And the war record of Captain Quayle.
Pentagon procuremen, what a fleece.
The Moscow summit, would it lead to peace?
And, whatever happenned to Edwin Meese?
And, Elvis sited every day without fail.
1989 events went hardly according to plan.
Jim Wright, John Tower, the Alaska spill
And a budget which overran.
But, Communist countries are starting to vote,
And the wall has come down, and it’s okay to gloat.
America and Russia in the same boat!
And, in the ’90s, we attack Japan.
More info: Mark Russell
Posted by columnwest 
A Yank in London 