Malvina Reynolds: Song Lyrics and Poems  

Rand Hymn

Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1961 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1989. In the Notes to her songbook Little Boxes and Other Handmade Songs Malvina writes: "Principal occupation of the RAND (Research and Development) Corporation is to do computer brain work for the U. S. Air Force. It also produced Herman Kahn, author of the book 'Thermonuclear War.'"

Oh, the Rand Corporation's the boon of the world,
They think all day long for a fee.
They sit and play games about going up in flames;
For counters they use you and me, honey bee,
For counters they use you and me.

It's so nice to know we have Rand on our side,
We'll always have good old Rand around;
A zillion will be fried out, but in some neat hideout,
Rand will be safe under ground, praise the Lord,
Rand will be safe under ground.

With a stroke of the pen, they can change us from men
Into numbers that flash on the wall.
These brainy heroes transform us to zeros,
So who gives a damn if we fall, after all,
Who gives a damn if we fall.

Their superior genes will be safe behind screens,
With the rest of our line doomed to die;
We'll be all sorted out, past a shadow of doubt,
By the all-wise electronic eye; bow down
To the mighty electronic eye.

They will rescue us all from a fate worse than death
With a touch of the push-button hand;
We'll be saved at one blow from the designated foe,
But who's going to save us from Rand, dear Lord,
Who's going to save us from Rand?

Malvina Reynolds songbook(s) in which the music to this song appears:
---- Little Boxes and Other Handmade Songs
---- The Malvina Reynolds Songbook

Other place(s) where the music to this song appears:
---- Sing Out!, Volume 11(4) (October-November 1961), p. 16

Malvina Reynolds recording(s) on which this song is performed:
---- Malvina Reynolds (2007)
---- listen to youtube.com video

Recordings by other artists on which this song is performed:
---- Pete Seeger: Gazette. Songs by Pete Seeger, Vol. 2 (Folkways FN 2502, 1961)