Kid Pan Alley Takes Responsibility for Controversial Song

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Updated: 7:51 PM Jan 9, 2012 Kid Pan Alley Takes Responsibility for Controversial Song Kid Pan Alley has taken full responsibility for the controversial "occupy-themed" song performed by third graders at Woodbrook Elementary School in Albemarle County. Posted: 11:51 AM Jan 9, 2012 Email Address: news@newsplex.com Kid Pan Alley Statement

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January 9, 2012

Kid Pan Alley has taken full responsibility for the controversial "occupy-themed" song performed by third graders at Woodbrook Elementary School in Albemarle County.

In a statement released Monday, the group's founder and artistic director, Paul Reisler, acknowledged he should have avoided phrases like "I'm part of the 99" and "they're the one percent" when facilitating the songwriting process for the song, Part of the 99.

“This is a song about being satisfied with what you have, a song about how life has its ups and downs, as so many people in our country are experiencing now. It was my personal mistake to introduce these phrases and I take complete responsibility for it. I will not make a mistake like this again," he said.

The song sparked controversy shortly after it was written and performed at the school in October. Several blogs attacked Kid Pan Alley and the school system for what they called "an indoctrinating sing-along" with an Occupy Wall Street message. The conservative blog Weasel Zippers wrote, "to have third graders sing about class warfare and rail against the one percent is evil and a violation of the trust parents put in them [schools]."

Nonetheless, school officials stood by the lyrics and Kid Pan Alley. Steve Koleszar, Chair of the Albemarle County School Board, said the group doesn't shape what kids write, and argued that the lyrical content was original.

School Board member Barbara Massie Mouly told CBS19 on Monday she's pleased with the change of course.

"I am gratified that Mr. Reisler did indicate that he regrets using the controversial language with a young group of people," she said. "I think we should examine how outside groups are told what our teaching policy is and make sure they are conforming to our policy of showing both sides of any controversial matter."

Kid Pan Alley is adamant that students selected the song topic and wrote lyrics to express their ideas, but the organization admits the message became overshadowed by the use of politically charged phrases.

The Kid Pan Alley Board of Directors addressed the song, saying "we have taken swift action to clarify our guidelines for lyrical content."

Here is a transcript of the song:

Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes — they’re the 1 percent

I used to be one of the 1 percent
I worked all the time
Never saw my family
Couldn’t make life rhyme
Then the bubble burst
It really, really hurt
I lost my money
Lost my pride
Lost my home
Now I’m part of the 99

Some people have it all
But they still don’t think they have enough
They want more money
A faster ride
They’re not content
Never satisfied
Yes — they’re the 1 percent

I used to be sad, now I’m satisfied
’Cause I really have enough
Though I lost my yacht and plane
Didn’t need that extra stuff
Could have been much worse
You don’t need to be first
’Cause I’ve got my friends
Here by my side
Don’t need it all
I’m so happy to be part of the 99

Latest Comments

Posted by: Bill Location: Charlottesville on Jan 11, 2012 at 07:05 PM

Kid Pan Alley really needs to get their act together. In the lyrics they make the claim that members of the 1% work all the time when, in fact, THE 1% DO NOT WORK AT ALL! Yep, that's right---your hard-earned tax dollars are propping up a bunch of rich, lazy, welfare queens!

Posted by: gerg Location: va on Jan 11, 2012 at 06:57 AM

Whats the difference the school sent home a book praising animal rights groups and i am a farmer and they send home books that do the same brainwashing .now let them talk about the rich being greedy and want more and more it is wrong come on they have been doing these things for years nothing new here they , just upset the tea party oh well it upsets me when the teach against my way of life and culture

Posted by: Jaylene on Jan 10, 2012 at 05:14 PM

Had Kid Pan Alley come clean when the question was first raised, there would be little to say. They did exactly what some parents complained about, and then denied the accusations. In my book, that's teaching our kids how to be less than truthful. Don't you think the kids knew that they had not come up with the lyrics on their own even as they heard adults, including teachers and the chairman of the school board, say that they had.

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