Ben Folds Releases New Political Satire Track, “Mister Peepers”
Photo by Lisa Lake/Getty
Singer-songwriter Ben Folds has delivered a new political satire track, “Mister Peepers.”
The track concerns current Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein—allegedly name-called “Mr. Peepers” by Donald Trump—who is overseeing the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections. Folds croons about certain members of Congress and the current administration’s incessant attempts to thwart the probe.
The song was written, recorded and released in conjunction with the Washington Post Magazine. The Post is calling their most recent, experimental publication “an issue of alternative storytelling.” The magazine also includes a Betsy Devos board game and a poem about the price of energy extraction in rural America.
When asked what drew him to the deputy attorney general for this project, Folds explains to the Post, “Because of the personal position he’s been put in and the position that we’re in at these crossroads, where we find ourselves deciding to stick up for our norms — or not.”
“This guy, unwittingly, found himself in an incredible hot seat,” Folds notes. “He’s now in a position where he’s going to get beaten up. And so that’s the story.”
“The story that has played before and will play out again.”
Paired with a reporter as he composed his latest satire, Folds was sent regular updates on Rosenstein’s role throughout the ongoing Mueller Russia probe.
One particular detail that caught Ben’s attention was that Trump reportedly referred to Rosenstein as Mr. Peepers because of his glasses. That image led Folds to think of Piggy from Lord of the Flies: “I thought of the thugs that break the little kid’s glasses,” he recalled.
The lyrics follow a similar theme: an accidental victim of bullying, thrown into the political ring to be one of many “public punching bags.”
Folds closes with a haunting message for the future: “When all those Mister Peepers people fall … Lord help us all.”
Visit the Washington Post Magazine website to hear the song and see their interview with Folds. Scroll down for the full lyrics and behind-the-scenes recording session footage.