At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival's tribute to MALVINA REYNOLDS the following tune was soulfully delivered by BERNICE REAGON (accompanied by her daughter TOSHI REAGON). I'd never heard this defiant song before. It's a knockout. Chords/tune requested. Thanks. URL --> http://www.uakron.edu/english/richards/ochs/posongs/nice.htmlvoyager Silver Spring, MD.
^^IT ISN'T NICE
Words by Malvina Reynolds
Music by Malvina Reynolds & Barbara Dane
It isn't nice to block the doorway,
It isn't nice to go to jail,
There are nicer ways to do it,
But the nice ways always fail.
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that's freedom's price, we don't mind.
No, no, no--
We don't mind,
No, no, no,--we don't mind.
It isn't nice to dump the groceries,
Or to sleep in on the floor,
Or to shout our cry of freedom
In the hotel or the store,
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that's freedom's price,
We don't mind. . .
Yeah, we tried negotiations
And the token picket line,
Mister Charlie didn't see us
And he might as well be blind;
When you deal with men of ice,
You can't always be so nice,
But if that's freedom's price,
We don't mind. . .
They kidnapped boys in Mississippi,
They shot Medgar in the back,
Did you say that wasn't proper?
Did you stand out on the track?
You were quiet just like mice,
Now you say we're not nice,
We'll if that's freedom's price,
We don't mind. . .
It isn't nice to block the doorways,
It isn't nice to go to jail,
There are nicer ways to do it,
But the nice ways always fail.
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
You told us once, you told us twice,
Thanks buddy, for your advice,
Well, if that's freedom price,
We don't mind. .
WE DON'T MIND!
(line breaks added by a Joe clone)