Chapter 1: Charley Anderson

Lieutenant Charley Anderson, war ace, returns to America on a ship from France. He looks forward to being home.

In "Newsreel XLIV," the repetition of the lyric "Yankee doodle" juxtaposed against capitalized headlines such as "DEADLOCK UNBROKEN AS FIGHT SPREADS" as well as against a journalistic piece about "democratic rights" being trampled shows the crumbling of America from within.

Chapter 2: Charley Anderson

Charley finds a room at a hotel, then gets a drink with his friend Ollie Taylor. At a dinner party, Charley enjoys the company of pretty young Doris Humphries.

In "Newsreel XLV," lyrics also illustrate the power women have over men as a "St. Louis woman wid her diamon' rings / Pulls dat man aroun' by her apron strings." This section reveals how women influence men's buying behaviors in their pursuit of "social prestige." With this commentary, headlines reveal violence: a "DAYLIGHT HOLDUP," a...