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Support Your Local Emperor
Lyrics: John Popper
Music: Bobby Sheehan, Chan Kinchla

Support your local emperor
Pay him tribute every time
Let it be known he holds your fate
From his fingertips shall flow the wine
Tell him when he speaks the air is sweet
Wherever he walks rosebeds be laid
So that he may always feel secure
In the vast empire that he's made

But could you tell me what he's ever done for you?
I'm not the one that needed an army
I'm not the one that needed respect
I'm not the one that hopes they'll remember
I'm not the one they'll likely forget
It seems one's going to walk
Where he's willing to walk
And with the ears of a bat
And the eyes of a hawk
You can see in the end
It's just a little bit of talk
But a rodent's always looking
For some cat he can stalk
To meow for him, to meow for him...

Remember once when you were young
It really was not all that long ago
You reached out your hand and it was met
If you let your heart will tell you so
So bow your head don't meet his eyes
When royalty speaks you then reply
Someday he may find his throne is cold
Someday he may chance to wonder why

But could you tell me what he's ever done for you?
I'm not the one that needed an army
I'm not the one that needed respect
I'm not the one that hopes they'll remember
I'm not the one they'll likely forget
It seems one's going to walk
Where he's willing to walk
And with the ears of a bat
And the eyes of a hawk
You can see in the end
It's just a little bit of talk
But a rodent's always looking
For some cat he can stalk
To meow for him, to meow for him...

Support your local emperor
Pay him tribute every time
Let it be known he holds your fate
From his fingertips shall flow the wine
Tell him when he speaks the air is sweet
Wherever he walks rosebeds be laid
Someday he may find his throne is cold
In the vast empire that he's made
That he's made...

© 1991 Blues Traveler Music

First release: Travelers & Thieves
Released: 09/03/1991
Earliest time played: 03/24/1990
Last time played: 05/30/2010
Playing frequency:
  174 plays (see all shows)
  10.16% of shows in the database
  10.45% of shows since debut
  Detailed statistics
Song information:
  The complete story of this song can be found in the official FAQ. The date in question was December 9th, 1989 at the Ritz in New York.
  This song is supposedly a good gauge of John's health - it takes some effort for him to sing it, so chances are, if you hear it at a concert, he's feeling well. If it's on the setlist but the band doesn't play it, John may not be up to par.
  Winner of the 2003 Chant Poll, this was brought back after a five-year absence on 07/04/2003.

Other recordings of "Support Your Local Emperor":
  Travelers & Thieves/On Tour Forever, 1991
  Travelers & Thieves pre-production tape, 1991
  When the Lights Go Down, 1994
  Chunky but Funky, 1995
  Independence Day - Set One, 1996
  Gimme Gimme, 1997
  Solomon, 2001
  Live: Thinnest Of Air, 2003
  Live On The Rocks, 2004

Support your local emperor
This title may stem from the James Garner movie "Support Your Local Sheriff", a spoof of country-western movies. The joke here, of course, is that emperors are by definition not local, implying that the butt of the joke considers himself an emperor but in reality is not.