When Johnny comes marching home again...

[solara]

When I hear Bush speak about "supporting our troops" I think about the lack of equipment and the absence of any real support from this administration that, in the last 4 years, has resulted in thousands of deaths, the loss of thousands of limbs, countless "new" kinds of brain injuries and thousands of cases of PTSD that our troops are still suffering in Iraq. I think about the callous, indifferent treatment they receive here at home and I am, somehow, reminded of "Johnny Got His Gun" a book by Dalton Trumbo, first published in 1939 .

This is an anti-war story about a young soldier in WW I who is grievously wounded and survives the loss of his arms, legs and face (he is blind and deaf as well) but is left with his mind intact. Hell.

Those who support "Bush's War" and the escalation of the violent and unending occupation of Iraq should read this book..(it's short and not too difficult) or rent the movie. War is not a board game. War is not a video game. War is not a "talking point" ..War is blood and body parts and unending horror. War is an obscenity when it is "justified".. but more so when it is based upon lies, manipulation and personal political agenda.

I want the few who still stand by Bush and his insane "war" to understand. I want them to see why the lies told by George H.W. Bush, Elliott Abrams, Gary Bauer, William J. Bennett , Jeb Bush, Dick Cheney, Eliot A. Cohen, Midge Decter, Paula Dobriansky, Steve Forbes, Aaron Friedberg, Francis Fukuyama, Frank Gaffney, Fred C. Ikle, Donald Kagan, Zalmay Khalilzad, I. Lewis Libby, Norman Podhoretz, Richard Perle, John Bolton, Dan Quayle, Peter W. Rodman, Stephen P. Rosen, Douglas Feith, Henry S. Rowen, Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft, James Woolsey, Donald Rumsfeld , Vin Weber, George Weigel, Paul Wolfowitz, George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Henry Kissinger, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, the rest of the corporate media and all the other NeoCons that got us into this mess are not just immoral, but CRIMINAL. I pray that maybe, just maybe thy will gain some insight and finally join us in SUPPORTING the troops by demanding an end to the violence.


Johnny Got His Gun by Metallica ( From "One")

I Can't Remember Anything
Can't Tell If this Is True or Dream
Deep down Inside I Feel to Scream
this Terrible Silence Stops Me

Now That the War Is Through with Me
I'm Waking up I Can Not See
That There Is Not Much Left of Me
Nothing Is Real but Pain Now

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God,wake Me

Back in the Womb its Much Too Real
in Pumps Life That I must Feel
but Can't Look Forward to Reveal
Look to the Time When I'll Live

Fed Through the Tube That Sticks in Me
Just like a Wartime Novelty
Tied to Machines That Make Me Be
Cut this Life off from Me

Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God,wake Me
Now the World Is Gone I'm Just One
Oh God,help Me Hold My Breath as I Wish for Death
Oh Please God Help Me

Darkness Imprisoning Me
All That I See
Absolute Horror
I Cannot Live
I Cannot Die
Trapped in Myself
Body My Holding Cell

Landmine Has Taken My Sight
Taken My Speech
Taken My Hearing
Taken My Arms
Taken My Legs
Taken My Soul
Left Me with Life in Hell


Support the troops- end the occupation of Iraq and bring them home now.

INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[myrna minx]

1. And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said son
Its time to stop rambling cause theres work to be
Done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played waltzing matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the
Cheers
We sailed off to gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
<when> the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called suvla bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He <showered> us with bullets, he rained us with
Shells
And in five minutes flat hed blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to australia
But the band played waltzing matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
And we buried ours and the turks buried theirs
Then <it> started all over again

Now those <who were living did their best to survive>
In <that> mad world of blood, death and fire
And for <seven long> weeks I kept myself alive
<while the corpses around me piled higher>
Then a big turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, <christ> I wished I was
Dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
<and> no more Ill go waltzing matilda
<to> the green <bushes so> far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded <and>
Maimed
And they shipped us back home to australia
<the legless, the armless>, the blind <and> insane
Those proud wounded heroes of suvla
And as our ship pulled into circular quay
I looked at the place where <me> legs used to be
And thank christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played waltzing matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
<and they> turned all their faces away

And now every april I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
<i see> my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving <the or their> dreams of past glory
<i see the old men, all twisted and torn>
The forgotten heroes <of> a forgotten war
And the young people ask <me>, what are they
Marching for?
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays waltzing matilda
And the old men <still> answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all

Waltzing matilda, waltzing matilda
Wholl <go> a-waltzing matilda with me?

[solara]

3. Wow.. I never knew all the lyrics to that song

How incredibly sad that war is always the same... always

Thank you



INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[myrna minx]

4. That song makes me choke up every time I hear it.

It's very powerful.

[valerief]

6. Yeah, those are great lyrics. Makes me think of Brother, Can You

Spare a Dime? Both are sooooo on the money.

[myrna minx]

13. You're so right. Here's the lyrics...

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?
Gorney, Harburg
They used to tell me
I was building a dream.
And so I followed the mob
When there was earth to plow
Or guns to bear
I was always there
Right on the job.
They used to tell me
I was building a dream
With peace and glory ahead.
Why should I be standing in line
Just waiting for bread?
Once I built a railroad
I made it run
Made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad
Now it's done
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower up to the sun
Brick and rivet and lime.
Once I built a tower,
Now it's done.
Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once in khaki suits
Gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum.
Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Say don't you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember?
I'm your pal.
Say buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits,
Ah, gee we looked swell
Full of that yankee doodle dee dum!
Half a million boots went sloggin' through hell
And I was the kid with the drum!
Oh, say don't you remember?
They called me Al.
It was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember?
I'm your pal.
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

[valerief]

36. Thanks, "Al". nt

[flamin lib]

2. IF Johnny comes marching home again.

K&R

[solara]

5. Yeah... IF

But it is unthinkable that this obscenity will be allowed to continue indefinitely...


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[flamin lib]

7. Like your sig line. nt

[solara]

25. Back atcha

INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[maggiegault]

8. "Money Trumps Peace"

I did a piece about our troops in Iraq for Valentine's Day. The YouTube clip that I used was "Goodnight Saigon," by Billy Joel.

The photos that I used are all from my brother's company, the 1st Cavalry out of Fort Hood.

I designed it so that readers listened to the clip as they looked at the photos. The clip can be found in the title, or here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpRuKyksxks


"We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ
With all of our might
And we will all go down together
Yes, we will all go down together
We said we'd all go down together"


http://lauralinger.blogspot.com/2007/02/happy-valentines-day.html

*****************
Those of us who have family and friends over there create, write, think, paint, draw, dream out of our places of pain and worry.

Those who support military deserters stick magnets on their gas guzzlers.

[maggiegault]

11. "Goodnight, Saigon" Lyrics

We met as soul mates
On parris island
We left as inmates
From an asylum
And we were sharp
As sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho
To lay down our lives
We came in spastic
Like tameless horses
We left in plastic
As numbered corpses
And we learned fast
To travel light
Our arms were heavy
But our bellies were tight
We had no home front
We had no soft soap
They sent us playboy
They gave us bob hope
We dug in deep
And shot on sight
And prayed to jesus christ
With all our might
We had no cameras
To shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe
And played our doors tapes
And it was dark
So dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers wed write
And we would all go down together
We said wed all go down together
Yes we would all go down together
Remember charlie
Remember baker
They left their childhood
On every acre
And who was wrong?
And who was right?
It didnt matter in the thick of the fight
We held the day
In the palm
Of our hand
They ruled the night
And the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks
On parris island
We held the coastline
They held the highlands
And they were sharp
As sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive
And we would all go down together
We said wed all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

[myrna minx]

12. That was very powerful.

Thank you for posting.

[lyonn]

27. Geez that was something, you did good

Had Kerry had that video to counter the Swift Boaters we would have buried bush!

Edit: Had to add that to my favorites....

[Morgana LaFey]

30. Absolutely magnificent

Really stunning work. I love those photos -- so revealing, so personal and intimate, and so very, very Viet Nam.

That doesn't look like Billy Joel to me though. Are you sure that's who's singing his song?

[maggiegault]

32. It's him, way back in 1982!

And the men who sing the chorus are all Viet vets.

In current concerts, when Joel is well enough to perform, he uses Iraq vets.

[alphafemale]

9. The Green Fields of France - Eric Bogle

Well how do you do young Willie McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your grave side?
And rest for a while 'neath the warm summer sun,
I've been walking all day and now I'm nearly done.

I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the great fallen in nineteen sixteen
I hope you died well and I hope you died clean
Or young Willie McBride was it slow and obscene?

Chorus:
Did they beat the drums slowly?
Did they play the fife flowly1?
Did the sound the dead march as they lowered you down?
Did the band play 'The Last Post' in chorus?
Did the pipes play 'The Flowers Of the Forest'?

snip

The sun now it shines on the Green Fields Of France,
There's a warm summer breeze that makes the red poppies dance,
And look how the sun shines from under the clouds,
There's no gas, no barbed wire, there's no gun firing now.

But here in this grave yard it's still No Mans Land,
The countless white crosses stand mute in the sand,
To mans blind indifference to his fellow man,
To a whole generation that was butchered and damned.

Chorus

http://www.netsoc.ucd.ie/~justy/frames/franceframe.html

[solara]

10. That's beautiful

Interesting how so many warnings have come out of the wars iin the past.. in songs and books...but we never get it.. we never listen.. so sad...so shameful



INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[alphafemale]

34. Video for "Green Fields of France" below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN-NIHbfJ1k&mode=related&search=

[maggiegault]

14. Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die Rag (Next Stop Vietnam)

Feel Like I'm Fixing To Die Rag (Next Stop Vietnam)

Country Joe & the Fish

Come on all of you big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
he's got himself in a terrible jam
way down yonder in Viet Nam so
put down your books and pick up a gun we're
gonna have a whole lotta fun

(CHORUS )
And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die

Come on generals, let's move fast
your big chance has come at last
now you can go out and get those reds
cos the only good commie is the one that's dead and
you know that peace can only be won when we've
blown 'em all to kingdom come

Come on wall street don't be slow
why man this war is a go-go
there's plenty good money to be made by
supplying the army with the tools of its trade
let's hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
they drop it on the Viet Cong

Come on mothers throughout the land
pack your boys off to Viet Nam
come on fathers don't hesitate
send your sons off before it's too late
and you can be the first ones on your block
to have your boy come home in a box

And it's one, two, three, what are we fighting for
don't ask me I don't give a damn, next stop is Viet Nam
And it's five, six, seven, open up the pearly gates
ain't no time to wonder why, whoopee we're all gonna die

[solara]

18. Excellent...that one brings back memories

but at the time I really believed a war like Viet Nam could never happen again...nothing changes .....corruption is never ending.


:cry:


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[maggiegault]

15. Eve of Destruction, Barry McGuire

I could list protest song lyrics all day...reminds me of my childhood with my hippie parents


The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’
You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’

But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Don’t you understand what I’m tryin’ to say
Can’t you feel the fears I’m feelin’ today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ away
There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave


And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Yeah, my blood’s so mad feels like coagulatin’
I’m sitting here just contemplatin’
I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation.
Handful of senators don’t pass legislation
And marches alone can’t bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin’
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for 4 days in space
But when you return, it’s the same old place
The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace
Hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace
And… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend
You don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction
Mm, no no, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
of destruction.

[maggiegault]

16. "I Ain't Marchin Anymore," by Phil Ochs

Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore

For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore

chorus)
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all

For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brothers
And so many others But I ain't marchin' anymore

For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore

(chorus)

For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore

Now the labor leader's screamin'
when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more,
No I ain't marchin' any more


(this was always my Dad's favorite protest song.)

[maggiegault]

17. "The Universal Soldier" by Buffy Saint Marie

He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you

And he's fighting for Canada,
he's fighting for France,
he's fighting for the USA,
and he's fighting for the Russians
and he's fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way

And he's fighting for Democracy
and fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
who's to live and who's to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls

But without him how would Hitler have
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.

[solara]

21. Yeah...all of these songs bear repeating

Maybe American Idol could have an anti-war song night.... :sarcasm:


nawwwww


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[myrna minx]

19. Soldier's Things. Tom Waits.

Davenports and kettle drums
And swallow tail coats
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls
And clarinets and rings
And all this radio really
Needs is a fuse
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots full of rocks
And this one is for bravery
And this one is for me
And everything's a dollar
In this box

Cuff links and hub caps
Trophies and paperbacks
It's good transportation
But the brakes aren't so hot
Neck tie and boxing gloves
This jackknife is rusted
You can pound that dent out
On the hood
A tinker, a tailor
A soldier's things
His rifle, his boots full of rocks
Oh and this one is for bravery
And this one is for me
And everything's a dollar
In this box
:cry:

[maggiegault]

22. "Everything's a dollar in this box" Kills me every single time I hear it.

[solara]

23. Heart breaking.. moving

The Times They Are A-Changing - Bob Dylan


Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.



These songs all seem more relevant now... I guess 30 years ago we all thought we had seen the worst... and that America would never find itself in such trouble again.......


INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[maggiegault]

28. "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" by Scott McKenzie

If you're going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you're going to San Francisco
You're gonna meet some gentle people there

For those who come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there
In the streets of San Francisco
Gentle people with flowers in their hair

All across the nation such a strange vibration
People in motion
There's a whole generation with a new explanation
People in motion people in motion

For those who come to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there

If you come to San Francisco
Summertime will be a love-in there

*********
You know, those who support a military deserter make fun of us librul hippie types for a philosophy like this one.

I don't care. My hero is Allison Krause, who was murdered at Kent State: "Flowers are better than bombs!"

[LeftishBrit]

20. This is an old Irish folk song, which still has much relevance today

MRS. McGRATH
"Oh, Mrs. McGrath," the sergeant said
"Would you like to make a soldier out of your son Ted
With a scarlett coat and a big cocked hat
Oh, Mrs. McGrath, wouldn't you like that?"

Chorus:
With your too-ri-a, fol-di-diddle-da, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a
With your too-ri-a, fol-di-diddle-da, too-ri, oor-ri, oor-ri-a

Now, Mrs. McGrath lived on the sea shore
For the space of seven long years or more
She spied a ship coming into the bay
"Here's my son Teddy, wisha clear the way"

Chorus

"Oh captain dear, where have you been
Or have you been sailing on the Meditereen
Have you any tidings of my son Ted
Is the poor boy living or is he dead?"

Chorus

Then up came Ted without any legs
And in their place, he had two wooden pegs
She kissed him a dozen times or two
"Holy Moses, it isn't you"

Chorus

"Now were you drunk or were you blind
When you left your two fine legs behind
Or was it walking upon the say
Wore your two fine legs from the knees away?"

Chorus

"No, I wasn't drunk and I wasn't blind
When I left my two fine legs behind
A big cannon ball on the fifth of May
Tore my two fine legs from the knees away"

Chorus

"Oh, Teddy my boy," the widow cried
"Your two fine legs were your mammy's pride
Stumps of a tree wouldn't do at all
Why didn't you run from the big cannon ball?"

Chorus

"All foreign wars I do proclaim
Between Don John and the King of Spain
I'd rather have my Teddy as he used to be
Than the King of France and his whole navy"

Chorus

[maggiegault]

24. "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy," by Pete Seeger

Waist Deep In The Big Muddy

by Pete Seeger 1963, planned for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967 but CBS objected to the blacklisted Seeger making obvious references to the"big fool" in the White House, finally sung by Seeger on the Comedy Hour in 1968 as the finale in a medley of anti-war songs

It was back in nineteen forty-two,
I was a member of a good platoon.
We were on maneuvers in-a Loozianna,
One night by the light of the moon.
The captain told us to ford a river,
That's how it all begun.
We were -- knee deep in the Big Muddy,
But the big fool said to push on.

The Sergeant said, "Sir, are you sure,
This is the best way back to the base?"
"Sergeant, go on! I forded this river
'Bout a mile above this place.
It'll be a little soggy but just keep slogging.
We'll soon be on dry ground."
We were -- waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool said to push on.

The Sergeant said, "Sir, with all this equipment
No man will be able to swim."
"Sergeant, don't be a Nervous Nellie,"
The Captain said to him.
"All we need is a little determination;
Men, follow me, I'll lead on."
We were -- neck deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool said to push on.

All at once, the moon clouded over,
We heard a gurgling cry.
A few seconds later, the captain's helmet
Was all that floated by.
The Sergeant said, "Turn around men!
I'm in charge from now on."
And we just made it out of the Big Muddy
With the captain dead and gone.

We stripped and dived and found his body
Stuck in the old quicksand.
I guess he didn't know that the water was deeper
Than the place he'd once before been.
Another stream had joined the Big Muddy
'Bout a half mile from where we'd gone.
We were lucky to escape from the Big Muddy
When the big fool said to push on.

Well, I'm not going to point any moral;
I'll leave that for yourself
Maybe you're still walking, you're still talking
You'd like to keep your health.
But every time I read the papers
That old feeling comes on;
We're -- waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.

Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.
Waist deep in the Big Muddy
And the big fool says to push on.
Waist deep! Neck deep! Soon even a
Tall man'll be over his head, we're
Waist deep in the Big Muddy!
And the big fool says to push on!

Words and music by Pete Seeger (1967)
TRO (c) 1967 Melody Trails, Inc. New York, NY

[solara]

26. Ohhh man... I forgot about that one...Seeger is brilliant

Sad that it is STILL true...



INVESTIGATE IMPEACH INDICT IMPRECATE INCARCERATE IMPALE INCINERATE :patriot:

[maggiegault]

29. "Fortunate Son," by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Had the good fortune to see John Fogerty sing this live two years ago, when he shared a bill with John Mellencamp.

He said that he couldn't believe that we had "elected" another Fortunate Son, and that we learned nothing as a nation from the sins of Vietnam.


Fortunate Son

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, theyre red, white and blue.
And when the band plays hail to the chief,
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, lord,

It aint me, it aint me, I aint no senators son, son.
It aint me, it aint me; I aint no fortunate one, no,

Yeah!
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, dont they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,

It aint me, it aint me, I aint no millionaires son, no.
It aint me, it aint me; I aint no fortunate one, no.

Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, lord,
And when you ask them, how much should we give?
Ooh, they only answer more! more! more! yoh,

It aint me, it aint me, I aint no military son, son.
It aint me, it aint me; I aint no fortunate one, one.

It aint me, it aint me, I aint no fortunate one, no no no,
It aint me, it aint me, I aint no fortunate son, no no no,

[TwilightGardener]

35. One of my favorite old songs!

[kineneb]

31. Fighting for Strangers- Steeleye Span

British folk rock from the 1970s


What makes you go abroad fighting for strangers
When you could be safe at home free from all dangers?

A recruiting sergeant came our way
To an Inn nearby at the close of day
He said young Johnny you're a fine young man
Would you like to march along behind a military band,
With a scarlet coat and a big cocked hat,
And a musket at your shoulder,
The shilling he took and he kissed the book,
Oh poor Johnny what will happen to ya?

The recruiting sergeant marched away
From the Inn nearby at the break of day,
Johnny went too with half a ring
He was off to be a soldier he'd be fighting for the King
In a far off war in a far off land
To face a foreign soldier,
But how will you fare when there's lead in the air,
Oh poor Johnny what'll happen to ya?

What makes you go abroad fighting for strangers
When you could be safe at home free from all dangers?

The sun shone hot on a barren land
As a thin red line took a military stand,
There was sling shot, chain shot, grape shot too,
Swords and bayonets thrusting through,
Poor Johnny fell but the day was won
And the King is grateful to you
But your soldiering's done and they're sending you home,
Oh poor Johnny what have they done to ya?

They said he was a hero and not to grieve
Over two wooden pegs and empty sleeves,
They carried him home and set him down
With a military pension and a medal from the crown.
You haven't an arm and you haven't a leg,
The enemy nearly slew you,
You'll have to go out on the streets to beg,
Oh poor Johnny what have they done to ya?

What makes you go abroad fighting for strangers
When you could be safe at home free from all dangers?

[blondeatlast]

33. Freda Payne socked it to them then--another great tune to resurrect:

Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone Mothers are praying-send our sons back home
You marched them away-yes, you did-on ships and planes
To the senseless war, facing death in vain

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down

Can't you see 'em march across the sky, all the soldiers that have died
Tryin' to get home-can't you see them tryin' to get home?
Tryin' to get home-they're tryin' to get home
Cease all fire on the battlefield
Enough men have already been wounded or killed

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Turn the ships around, lay your weapons down
(Mothers, fathers and lovers, can't you see them)

Oooh, oooh...
Tryin' to get home-can't you see them tryin' to get home?
Oooh, oooh...
Tryin' to get home-they're tryin' to get home

Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
What they doing over there, now (bring 'em back alive)
When we need them over here, now (bring 'em back alive)
What they doing over there, now (bring 'em back alive)
When we need them over here, now (bring 'em back alive)