Time of Inconvenience

I've been on a Nanci Griffith musical kick for the past few days, and I notice that she touches on a lot of points that deal with the concept of human dignity. 


This song, "Time of Inconvenience" puts an interesting twist on the state of the world, and how inconvenient the times really are. 

Time of Inconvenience (1994)

We're living in a time of inconvenience

Compassion fails me with this meanness in the air

Our city streets are filled with violence

So we close our doors to the city

And pretend that it's not there

Here I go again

Back out on these mean streets

The evil seems to cling to the soles of my feet

'cause' I'm living in a time of inconvenience

At an inconvenient time

We're living in the age of communication

Where the only voices heard have money in their hands

Where greed has become a sophistication

And if you ain't got money

You ain't got nothin' in this land

An' here I am one lonely woman

On these mean streets

Where the right to life man has become my enemy

'cause' I'm living in his time of inconvenience

At an inconvenient time

(bridge)

I've turned my cheek

As my history fades

While the clock ticks away

Any progress we've made

I never thought

I'd be ashamed to be human

Afraid to say

My time has seen it's day

'cause' I'm living in a time of inconvenience

living in a time of inconvenience living in a time of inconvenience

It's an inconvenient time

This is the time of greed and power

Where everyone needs to have someone to shove around

Our children come to us for answers

Listening for freedom but they don't know the sound

And there they are, our children

Dumped out in these mean streets

The evil sweeps them up

And brings them to their knees

'cause' they're living in our time of inconvenience

They're living in the age of communication

This is the time of greed and power

This is the time that I wish was not mine

'cause' it's an inconvenient time

(time, oh time)

(it's an inconvenient time)

Nanci Griffith manages to encapsulate much of what we talked about this past class. Status, power, communication, rights... here it is in a 4 minute song. It's an interesting jumping off point for discussion on how all of this applies to dignity, if it does at all.