In Chile, while we watched a country's hopes come and gone,
The army crushed a people, but they could not crush the song.
Victor Jara's tortured body will not suffer anymore.
Though dead, his spirit rises with a mighty freedom roar.

And in my time I've seen the dogs and the hate of the hooded Klan,
The murder of a preacher and the rape of Vietnam.
But those who died for freedom gave us strength to carry on
And courage when all hope was gone from "We Shall Overcome."

It's hard to imagine how anyone seeing such references to recent history would think this is a traditional song.