"Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose" is one of the few French phrases the average American might know. It translates to: the more things change, the more they stay the same. While it expresses a profound truth, it's not always true. Some things really do change profoundly, and not always for the better.
The following song, The Freedom Train, is a foremost example. It's almost inconceivable that a song with these lyrics could get mainstream airplay today. Then again, who knows? Maybe in a few years, if the Tea Party movement continues to grow, even this stellar work of Irving Berlin may see a Renaissance.
[Performed here by Peggy Lee, Johnny Mercer, Margaret Whiting, and — one of the most popular groups of the period — The Pied Pipers, all backed by the superb Paul Weston Orchestra. Available on the albums Peggy Lee, Lost '40s and '50s Capitol Masters and also The Pied Pipers compilation, Dreams From the Sunny Side of the Street.]
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