Big Beef
There probably will never be
Labels on beef that say..."Tested for BSE".
And the reason Big Beef will stand pat
Is politicking special interest lobbyists that,
Catch kickback that's thrown around
Who are gonna make gol-darn sure
Beef futures are up not down.
Testing means increased cost, and profit lost,
Hurting the bottom line;
So the suits ally, wine and dine,
And their special interest legislation is signed;
("ag-gag" laws)
Farm animal welfare disregarded and declined.
The suits all agree, to look the other way;
With a firm hand shake, they have a nice day.
Cattle ranchers responsibly graze their steers.
But after auction, industrial beef production veers.
Given steroid hormones 'til full grown,
Gorged on grains and corn, 'til fat and full blown.
Given antibiotics for pathogens borne in dung that's
Infested with parasites flies, larvae and gnats.
Over 100,000 head of cattle stand for months in the rot
Of urine and feces sludge, in a crowded feed lot;
Awaiting a pneumatic nail gun,
To blow into their skull, a stun shot
Then they're pushed through a chute door,
Hung by a hind leg, and moved to the kill floor.
If not properly stunned,
They're mercilessly killed, in horror and gore!
This is "alleged" to be the graphic truth
Of what often happens at the industrial slaughter.
From stun whacking to meat packing
Gushing blood flows like water.
When they rod the weasand
And power saw the head,
The throat bleeds out crimson red;
And often the animal is not stunned or dead.
A horrible way to be fed.
If not properly stunned, the animal will revive
But the line will not stop because they're still alive!
They keep em moving on down the line,
Processing up to 250 in an hours' time
And to the depths, the beef industry is sinking,
Skinning them alive, their eyes still blinking.
Conscious decapitating and eviscerating.
With the millions slaughtered in the US per year
The stats "butchered alive" is factually severe.
There's hook shanking, machine hide yanking
And Big Beef banking on prime beef ranking.
There's belly ripping, there's blood dripping;
There's tenderloin and New York stripping
Chateaubriand and mignon nipping
And boxing for exclusive zip code shipping.
The biggest by-product is cow hide flipping.
And Big Beef stock is big Blue Chipping.
And just so ya know, the suits have no guilt tripping
With the slaughter of an animal that's still making noise,
That's just another day at the office
For the corporate agribusiness boys.
Pigs are dunked into scalding water,
To soften the hide for skinning
And should be stunned at the beginning
So there won't be any feeling;
But, some are scalded and boiled alive,
Because you hear them squealing!
And pork bellies futures, continue high yielding.
The dairy industry has no use for male calves, so the male
Is farmed as veal, crated up to 20 weeks, and kept very frail.
Fed a liquid formula-like product, and are seldom moved
So that the flesh is pink and tender and gourmet approved.
Animal slaughter is often inhumane and cruel.
Farm animals do not have a voice, so then who'll?
Well, for their sake, I will muckrake and steak by steak,
Rouse the steakhouse,
To insist on enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act
But it happens to be a matter of fact;
Big Beef is bound only to a profits pact!
There probably will never be
Labels on beef that say..."Tested for BSE".
And the reason Big Beef will stand pat
Is politicking special interest lobbyists that,
Catch kickback that's thrown around
Who are gonna make gol-darn sure
Beef futures are up not down.
Testing means increased cost, and profit lost,
Hurting the bottom line;
So the suits ally, wine and dine,
And their special interest legislation is signed;
("ag-gag" laws)
Farm animal welfare disregarded and declined.
The suits all agree, to look the other way;
With a firm hand shake, they have a nice day.
Cattle ranchers responsibly graze their steers.
But after auction, industrial beef production veers.
Given steroid hormones 'til full grown,
Gorged on grains and corn, 'til fat and full blown.
Given antibiotics for pathogens borne in dung that's
Infested with parasites flies, larvae and gnats.
Over 100,000 head of cattle stand for months in the rot
Of urine and feces sludge, in a crowded feed lot;
Awaiting a pneumatic nail gun,
To blow into their skull, a stun shot
Then they're pushed through a chute door,
Hung by a hind leg, and moved to the kill floor.
If not properly stunned,
They're mercilessly killed, in horror and gore!
This is "alleged" to be the graphic truth
Of what often happens at the industrial slaughter.
From stun whacking to meat packing
Gushing blood flows like water.
When they rod the weasand
And power saw the head,
The throat bleeds out crimson red;
And often the animal is not stunned or dead.
A horrible way to be fed.
If not properly stunned, the animal will revive
But the line will not stop because they're still alive!
They keep em moving on down the line,
Processing up to 250 in an hours' time
And to the depths, the beef industry is sinking,
Skinning them alive, their eyes still blinking.
Conscious decapitating and eviscerating.
With the millions slaughtered in the US per year
The stats "butchered alive" is factually severe.
There's hook shanking, machine hide yanking
And Big Beef banking on prime beef ranking.
There's belly ripping, there's blood dripping;
There's tenderloin and New York stripping
Chateaubriand and mignon nipping
And boxing for exclusive zip code shipping.
The biggest by-product is cow hide flipping.
And Big Beef stock is big Blue Chipping.
And just so ya know, the suits have no guilt tripping
With the slaughter of an animal that's still making noise,
That's just another day at the office
For the corporate agribusiness boys.
Pigs are dunked into scalding water,
To soften the hide for skinning
And should be stunned at the beginning
So there won't be any feeling;
But, some are scalded and boiled alive,
Because you hear them squealing!
And pork bellies futures, continue high yielding.
The dairy industry has no use for male calves, so the male
Is farmed as veal, crated up to 20 weeks, and kept very frail.
Fed a liquid formula-like product, and are seldom moved
So that the flesh is pink and tender and gourmet approved.
Animal slaughter is often inhumane and cruel.
Farm animals do not have a voice, so then who'll?
Well, for their sake, I will muckrake and steak by steak,
Rouse the steakhouse,
To insist on enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act
But it happens to be a matter of fact;
Big Beef is bound only to a profits pact!
