Iraq War Protest songs

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: topical tom
Date: 08 Sep 08 - 11:51 AM

Although this is not about the Iraq war per se, I think it holds up to the criteria of "protest songs": "When a Soldier Makes it Home" by Arlo Guthrie

Subject: Lyr Add: TEXACO FUSILEERS
From: GUEST,Suffolk Miracle
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 04:36 AM

From the FIRST Iraq war rather than the second. The terrifying thing is how few words would have to be changed to update it!
Tune: McAlpine's Fusileers

Out on the sand we soldiers stand and await the call to fight;
Whilst above, the hum of the GR1 can be heard by day and night.
You may wonder why 'neath a foreign sky we risk our lives out here.
But you'll know who to blame when you hear out name – we're the Texaco Fusileers.

Major and Bush say without a blush we're the price they have to pay;
And the Sun and the Star from miles afar say they're with us all the way.
But those who said that are safe in bed when the missiles whistle round our ears.
And the ones on high aren't the ones who die – it's the Texaco Fusileers.

And if we fall at our country's call and the hope and the glory fail
Don't tell our wives we gave our lives for justice to prevail;
But on our bones just pile up stones and carve on them for future years:
'On a foreign soil we died for oil. We're the Texaco Fusileers.'

Subject: Lyr Add: NO BLOOD FOR OIL (Mark Ross)
From: Mark Ross
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 09:43 AM

I wrote this 7 years ago. The tune is an old foc'sle shanty Utah Phillips used for his song TROOPERS LAMENT. He told me he learned the tune from Louis Killen. If somebody out there can tell me the name of the shanty I'd be much obliged.
Mark Ross

NO BLOOD FOR OIL
Words, Mark Ross. Tune, Troopers' Lament.

There's a man down in Washington who wants to start a war,
Wants to kill a hundred thousand like his daddy did before,
Send handsome sons and pretty daughters off to die on foreign soil,
He doesn't listen when we tell him that we won't trade blood for oil.

In the Middle East they're saying that there's oil beneath the sand,
Are a thousand dirty barrels worth the life of one young man?
Let the honest soul come forward who will now stand up and say,
That these actions they are justified, it is worth the price we'll pay.

When the Gulf War ended just a dozen years ago,
We forgot the old injunction, "You shall reap just what you sow."
Now there comes a generation who we've taught that might is right,
Is it any wonder that we're the ones they want to fight.

There are half a million children dead because we went to war,
And if the battle starts again there will be a million more,
The sound of grieving parents should make us feel ashamed,
Of all the things that we have done, and all in Freedom's name.

Back here in this country we're consumed by all our fears,
We are giving up the freedoms that we've had for all these years,
We turn neighbor against neighbor, turn our children into spies,
Our friends become our enemies, and it all is based on lies.

Can you hear the sound of people marching all across the world,
Half a hundred million with their flags of peace unfurled,
From the dampened streets of Portland to Madrid in sunny Spain,
Voices swelling up in protest, "We shall never kill again."

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: sharyn
Date: 11 Sep 08 - 12:13 AM

I've got one posted on the Mudcat somewhere. It's called "The Old Hollow Drum" It's also been published in the San Francisco Folk Music Club's newsletter, the folknik.

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: Charley Noble
Date: 11 Sep 08 - 08:13 PM

Mark-

I'm not sure what forebitter tune you're thinking of.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: bobad
Date: 13 Sep 08 - 10:24 PM

"Bobad , where's he been hiding that one ?"

Ron, sorry, didn't mean to ignore your question I lost track of the thread. Bruce wrote it two years ago, I've had a copy since but just recently discovered it had been posted to this site "ezfolk" when someone here at Mudcat linked to it.

Bob

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: Jayto
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 11:49 AM

Steve Earle has several on his newer CDs.

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: Stringsinger
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 12:04 PM

Before hearing Billy Bragg, I wrote this one last year.


1. You talk about democracy and freedom's on the way,
But you don't tell 'bout the kids that are dyin' every day.

CHORUS: You're messin' with us, Bushtail, and you don't mean a word you say.
You know chickens come home to roost and every dirty dog will have his day.

2. You can hear it on the street; you can hear it in the blues.
You can hear it almost everywhere except the evenin' news. CHORUS

3. You preach to us in the mornin' and lie to us at night.
You feed us propaganda just to try to make us fight.

2ND CHORUS: You're messin' with us, Bushtail, and you don't mean a word you say.
We put up with you for too long now while Iraqis are dyin' every day.

4. You talk about democracy, freedom and the flag.
You think you got us by the balls with the election in the bag.

3RD CHORUS: You're messin' with us, Bushtail, and you don't mean a word you say.
You've been lyin' for a long time but sometime you'll have your judgement day

5. You talk 'bout freedom while folks are dyin' every day.
You're preachin' 'bout that freedom while you steal it all away.

4TH CHORUS: You're messin' with us, Bushtail, and you don't mean a word you say.
You know chickens come home to roost and every dirty dog will have his day.

6. You try the same ol' shell game with the dictator flim-flam
You substitute a puppet for the other one, Saddam. CHORUS
,
7. We thought we had a shot at the Great American Dream
But you gotta' be a rich man to ... play ball on that team. CHORUS

8. Your rakin' in the money while you let the worker go.
That's why a hundred black men are sittin' on death row. CHORUS

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: Stringsinger
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 12:06 PM

Bushtail was W's nickname at Yale.,

Subject: RE: Iraq War Protest songs
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 12:56 AM

An old (ex-pop) song with a powerful anti-war message in the last verse is "Billy, Don't be a Hero".