Pope Friction

one man's fight short shelf-life

Liner notes

This is, by some distance, the best title I've ever come up with. It's also one of the songs I'm proudest of. It was inspired by an article in The Scotsman -- research indicates March 12th, 2001 -- with the headline 'Papal visits to blame for disasters, say Wee Frees'. Reverend John Macleod, a Stornoway minister, had written to the first minister and the Queen pointing out that they'd visited the Vatican and soon afterwards, foot-and-mouth disease started rampaging across the UK. Coincidence? He thought not. I went back to the office and got my Tom Paxton https://www.tompaxton.com/ beret on.

The M8's in a snowdrift and the Borders are blacked out
Tayside is cut off from civilisation
There's flooding on the Forth, chaos on the Clyde
You could rename Inverness inundation

What's the reason for the crises sweeping the nation?
The Wee Frees have the obvious explanation
For why we're struggling to cope:
It's all because the Queen went to see the Pope.

It's right there in the statute book, 1642*This is an error. The letter referred to the Westminster Confession of Faith, ratified by the Scottish Parliament in 1649. It does, however, identify the Pope as 'that Antichrist, that man of sin, and son of perdition, that exalteth himself, in the Church, against Christ and all that is called God'. Apologies.,
The Bishop of Rome is really Lucifer
The Queen should know her remit, to protect the one true faith
She has no right to make the church inclusiver

What's the reason for the crises sweeping the nation?
The Wee Frees have the obvious explanation
For why might as well abandon hope
It's all because the Queen went to see the Pope.

Society is crumbling, the Church is in disrepair
There's sex and drugs and crime and prostitution
Farming's going under to the foot-and-mouth disease
Not a virus, it's divine retribution

What's the reason for the crises sweeping the nation?
The Wee Frees have the obvious explanation
For why we're bathing in disinfectant soap
It's all because the Queen went to see the Pope.

Now we've hit rock bottom, things surely can't get worse
Her Majesty's consorting with the Devil
Well, I've bad news for the Wee Frees, I just saw the sports results
It looks like Celtic are going to win the treble

What's the reason for the tragedies sweeping the nation?
The Wee Frees have the obvious explanation
For why we're dangling from a rope
It's all because the Queen went to see the Pope.