"THEY'RE RICH, YOU'RE DEAD" RAP

(How well can you RAP these lyrics?)
Sample illustrated performance and metronome beat are on CD-ROM-2 (See Main Menu)

- Arthur E. Pitchenik, MD

I know you can't hear a dead man cry,
and maybe you don't even want to know why,
or look into the future where you watch yourself die,
a smoking fool! (cough, cough, cough)

I started out smoking at the age of ten
with some pretty dumb friends in the back of the school,
where we broke every rule 'cause we thought it was cool. (see slide g)
What kind of fools were we? What were we trying to be?
Cool fools? (cough, cough, cough) Cool fools? (inspiratory wheeze for 3 beats)

We all puffed up and we bragged, gagged, hacked,
hawked, coughed and wheezed,
never thinking that our lungs were becoming diseased. (see slide o)
What kind of fools were we? What were we trying to be?
Cool fools? (cough, cough, cough) Cool fools? (inspiratory wheeze for 3 beats)

The ones who really knew tried to tell us what to do.
They kept sayin' "NO", but "NO" means "GO", to a fool.
My friends said "GO", Go where? No where! Nightmare! (see slide i)
I now have cancer everywhere (see slides 3, 4)
and the chemo is takin' all of my hair.
I'm dead, just like they said,
just like I read on the covers of the packs
and here are the facts: (References 1-37, pgs 72-73)

I'm addicted, I'm afflicted. (see slide j)
Murder has got me convicted.
Why am I so willing to be killing myself?
Am I trying hard to be dying hard,
getting ready to be buried in my own back yard?

I cough until I gag my guts
and still go right on buying them butts.
I fight for each and every breath
and puff and puff myself to death.
I just can't quit that stinkin' cigarette,
so I smoke and I choke and I pay for it! (see slide h)
Can't breathe, (inspiratory wheeze for 3 beats)
Can't quit ! (cough, cough, cough)
I cough until I gag my guts
and still go right on buying them butts.