Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)

Subject: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: michaelr
Date: 10 Dec 04 - 06:58 PM

Steve Earle has come up with another good one. Check it out:


Rich Man's War    (Steve Earle)

Jimmy joined the army 'cause he had no place to go
Ain't nobody hirin' 'round here since all the jobs went down to Mexico
Reckoned he'd learn himself a trade, maybe see the world        
Move to the city someday and marry a black haired girl
Somebody somewhere had another plan                                
Now he's got a rifle in his hand                         
Rollin' into Baghdad wonderin' how he got this far                
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war

                        
Bobby had an eagle and a flag tattooed on his arm
Red white and blue to the bone when he landed in Kandahar
Left behind a pretty young wife and a baby girl
A stack of overdue bills and went off to save the world
Been a year now and he's still there
Chasin' ghosts in the thin dry air
Meanwhile back at home the finance company took his car
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war

When will we ever learn
When will we ever see
We stand up and take our turn
And keep tellin' ourselves we're free

Ali was the second son of a second son
Grew up in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks when the tanks would come
Ain't nothin' else to do around here just a game kids play
Somethin' 'bout livin' in fear all your life makes you hard that way
He answered when he got the call
Wrapped himself in death and praised Allah
A fat man in a new Mercedes drove him to the door
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man's war

(from the CD The Revolution Starts Now)


Cheers,
Michael

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: michaelr
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 03:56 PM

No comments? I'm amazed.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 04:22 PM

Hey thanks for posting that song.

I always figgered there was no difference between American soldiers and Palestinian suicide bombing terrorists, that they were one and the same.

Fuck this shit about supporting our troops while being against the war.

EVERY AMERICAN SOLDIER IS A TERRORIST!!!

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: Cluin
Date: 11 Dec 04 - 05:56 PM

Well, I guess you missed the point of S.E.'s song altogether, GUEST. Go wash your hands. You grabbed the wrong end of the stick.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: Ebbie
Date: 12 Dec 04 - 12:05 AM

One of the musicians in our group has been singing that song, michaelr, the last couple of months. Pretty powerful stuff; there's always a moment of silence after she finishes, and it tends to bring on a spate of anti-war songs. Sometimes we have to proclaim a switch to happy songs, just to shake the mood.

That last verse of the song is an inspired one. Without it, the song would miss the mark. With it, it is universal.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Rich Man's War (Steve Earle)
From: michaelr
Date: 12 Dec 04 - 06:10 PM

I agree, Ebbie. The third verse really brings the message home (even if Guest still managed to miss it).

I sang this at a party last week... had to follow with "Brown-Eyed Girl" to re-elevate the mood!

Steve Earle is turning into our generation's foremost protest singer, from his anti-death penalty stuff to "Jerusalem" to this one. Phil Ochs would be proud.

Cheers,
Michael