Scared Money Lyrics

Lyric discussion by QuietJack 

Cover art for Scared Money lyrics by Amos Lee

Written as an open letter to Jacobin Magazine and other intellectual journal editors, this song speaks back in the voice of the anonymous, missing leader(s) of the now failed Occupy Wall Street Movement.

Jacobin Magazine, (or Jack), enjoyed the attention it received its ongoing criticism that the Occupy Wall Street Movement was without leadership. Unable to answer back, here is the obvious explanation. Fear for their and their families' lives. Peaceful movement and civil rights leaders from Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., Kennedy were killed for appearing as peaceful leaders. Conspiracy theories aside, even spiritual leaders devoted entirely to helping the powerless and the exploited must be surrounded by body guards to walk down the street. Consumer advocates and whistle blowers have hits put out on them, their are families threatened. Why the intellectual journalists were unable to understand this seeming obvious phenomenon of "killing the leader" is unclear. Instead of noticing or having concern for the leaders safety, they reduced the "We Are the 99%" in print to drum circles and carnival gatherings. The leaders would have been run out of town. Actual lives are at stake.

Jacobin Magazine also criticized the movements' use of slogans that referred to "Taking down the 1%", as not being "peaceful". There is nothing peaceful about what happens to move people to spend their lives in protest. They are fatally putting themselves in harms way to make progressive change. Without them generations of their family and the public suffers. History has shown that killing the peaceful leader, the whistle blowers and even consumer advocates isn't beyond the means or morals those in power.

Seems like it should've been obvious to the powerful intellectuals at Jack Magazine.

Song Meaning