The Buck in The Bog

From Investor Relations Magazine June 2008

I wrote this way back in April, and only recently resurrected it, so I'm quite proud of the prescience..

The bog down in the valley-o

Ian Williams breaks into song

It was 2030 when a Chinese traveler in the ruins of Manhattan heard singing. As he approached, he saw – dancing round a campfire on the Bowling Green – a group dressed in a strange mixture of bearskins and the tattered remnants of Brooks Brothers suits. He recorded their song, which appeared to be an old folk tune.

The bog down in the valley-o

O-ro, the rattling bog, the bog down in the valley-o
O-ro, the rattling bog, the bog down in the valley-o.

And in that bog there was a shack, a rare shack, a rattling shack,
With the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And on that shack there was a loan, a rare loan, a rattling loan,
With the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And on that loan there was a bond, a rare bond, a rattling bond,
With the bond on the loan, and the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind that bond there was Bear Sterns, a rare bear, a rattling bear,
With the bear on the bond, and the bond on the loan, and the loan on the shack,
and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind the bear there was the Fed, a rich Fed, a rattling Fed,
With the Fed on the bear, and the bear on the bond, and the bond on the loan,
and the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind the Fed was the Treas’ry, a rare Treas’ry, a rattling Treas’ry,
With the Treas’ry on the Fed, and the Fed on the bear, and the bear on the bond,
and the bond on the loan, and the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind the Treas’ry was the buck, a rare buck, a rattling buck,
With the buck on the Treas’ry, and the Treas’ry on the Fed, and the Fed on the bear,
and the bear on the bond, and the bond on the loan, and the loan on the shack,
and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind that buck was the RMB, a rare RMB, a rattling RMB,
With the RMB on the buck, and the buck on the Treas’ry, and the Treas’ry on the Fed,
and the Fed on the bear, and the bear on the bond, and the bond on the loan,
and the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And behind the RMB was the Chinese Party, a rare party, a rattling party,
With the party on the RMB, and the RMB on the buck, and the buck on the Treas’ry,
and the Treas’ry on the Fed, and the Fed on the bear, and the bear on the bond,
and the bond on the loan, and the loan on the shack, and the shack in the bog
And the bog down in the valley-o.

And on that party grew cold feet, rare cold feet, rattling cold feet,
So the RMB stiffed the buck, and the buck hit a hole, and the Treas’ry spooked
the Fed, and the Fed loosed the bear, and the bear chewed the bond,
and the bond lost the loan, and the shack was foreclosed, and we all took a bath
In the bog down in the valley-o.
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