St. Paul's Theme Song

Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.

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When I was in St. Paul last week, I told the folks there I could feel their pain when their town is referred to as the "Minneapolis-St. Paul area" or sometimes just Minneapolis.

I can feel the pain because I'm from Fort Worth, Texas, which is sometimes referred to as the "Dallas/Fort Worth area."

So I invited them to write a theme song for their town and I started them off this way:

"Minneapolis, Minneapolis,
we think you are just fabulous,
but if you want to have a ball,
come around to old St. Paul."

I invited them to finish the song, and we got some very interesting entries.

Here's one:

"Let's forget its grander twin.
St. Paul now is really in."

Interesting because it comes from May Scanlon, who says she's never been to Minneapolis or St. Paul.

One woman suggested just merging the cities, but she saw trouble ahead. She said:

"If they merged,
would it set off a brawl,
if they called it
Mini-Paul?"

She signed it "Diana" - I think I know her!

I have to say my favorite came from a guy named Jim Bohannon, who has never been to St. Paul, either, but here's what he said:

"Minneapolis, Minneapolis,
I'm afraid it's still our feeling
that while you're not all appalling,
St. Paul is really quite appealing."

Next week on Face the Nation, we'll be back to prose and blank verse.

[pshomion]

Oh,Bob Schieffer, you made me grin
With your quips about our city''s twin
Alas, however, when poems were read
I had to pout and shake my head
Evidently here in our fair city
There''s not one poet-now that''s a pity
Not one to brag about a place
Like Landmark Center with all its grace
Our busy,bustling river, our streets Summit and Grand
The cathedral, ethnic bistros-did you have it planned?
No one to tout our theaters, museums,parks and zoo?
This lack of poetic penners has left me sad and blue
I''m telling you,Bob, that of all of these "downers"
The worst is that you only featured out-of-towners