15 Oct 04 - 05:43 PM (#1298175) Subject: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: Mark Ross I am supposed to play '60's protest songs tonight at Springfield(Oregon)High School. I was getting ready and my lady friend(She Who Must Be Obeyed)suggested this old Country Joe tune, but I thought it could be updated just a little. Let me know what you think. Mark Ross FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 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 the desert sand 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 the desert sand And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Well there 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. Gotta go out and kill 'em in their beds The only good Muslim is the one that's dead You know that peace can only be won When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come. [Chorus] Come on Wall Street, don't move slow, Bush and Cheney want you to know There's plenty good money to be made Supplying the Army with the tools of the trade, Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb, They drop it on Iran. [Chorus] Come on mothers throughout the land, Pack your boys off to the desert sand Come on fathers, don't hesitate, Send your sons off before it's too late. You can be the first one on your block To have your boy come home in a box. |
15 Oct 04 - 05:58 PM (#1298183) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: McGrath of Harlow "Gimme an F..." |
15 Oct 04 - 06:13 PM (#1298196) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: harpgirl chillingly timely.... |
15 Oct 04 - 08:22 PM (#1298273) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: McGrath of Harlow Tell us how it went. |
15 Oct 04 - 11:41 PM (#1298364) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: GUEST,Pete Peterson Great update! Wonder how long it's going to take to learn it. We've been doing the best antiwar song I know at gigs without saying it IS one. . . Kittredge's Tenting Tonight (1864): Many are the hearts that are weary tonight Wishing for the war to cease. . . this one is a little less subtle. Thanks Mark! |
16 Oct 04 - 12:37 AM (#1298382) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: PoppaGator Nice job! It's kinda surprising -- and scary -- how very little you had to change the original lyrics to convert the song to something completely up-to-date and relevant to the current situation. Substitute "desert sand[s]" for "Vietnam," and you're about 9/10s of the way there. |
16 Oct 04 - 11:54 AM (#1298441) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: JennyO We did a combined choirs thing a few weeks ago, with new words to this one. I can't find them at the moment, but where it says "Next stop is Vietnam" we sang "we're gonna trash Saddam". I'll have to see if I can find those words amongst the chaos that is this room right now - in the middle of spring cleaning and completely rearranging the furniture at the moment. |
16 Oct 04 - 10:26 PM (#1298769) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: allanwill Great minds think alike! I've also done an update of the song. (Excuse the language) Now, come on all of you big strong men Uncle Sam needs your help again. He's got himself in a terrible fix way down yonder in Iraq. So put down your books and pick up a gun, we're gonna have a whole lot of fun. And it's one, two, three what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a fuck the next stop is Iraq. And it's five, six, seven open up the pearly gates. Well, there ain't no time to wonder why whoopee< we're all gonna die. Now, 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 one that's dead, and you know that peace can only be won when we've blown 'em all to kingdom come. And it's one, two, three what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I've no idea the next stop is North Korea. etc Come on, Wall Street, don't be slow why man this war's a-go-go. There's plenty of money to be made by supplying the army with the tools of it's trade. Let's hope and pray that if they drop the bomb they drop it on the Persian throng. And it's one, two, three what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn the next stop is Iran. etc. Now come on mothers throughout the land send your boys off to the desert sands. 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 boys 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 fuck the next stop is Iraq. And it's five, six, seven open up the pearly gates. Well, there ain't no time to wonder why whoopee< we're all gonna die. Allan |
16 Oct 04 - 10:36 PM (#1298771) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: Peace Mark, that's really very, very good. Go get 'em. |
16 Oct 04 - 10:37 PM (#1298773) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: Peace alinact, nice work. |
16 Oct 04 - 11:22 PM (#1298793) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: libertarian Both new versions are great, and remember when you go to the polls on election day, both Democrat and Republican candidates are for keeping our presence in Iraq. If we want our country to get back to the principles it was founded upon, we all need to go to the polls on Election day and stop wasting our vote, and finally vote for the party that respects the constitution as well as the candidate that knows and would preserve and protect the constitution from all enemies domestic and foreign, and that candidate is on the Libertarian Party's line, and his name is Michael Badnarik. |
17 Oct 04 - 12:43 AM (#1298820) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: katlaughing Well done versions!! |
17 Oct 04 - 12:53 AM (#1298823) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: GUEST,.gargoyle Was this agenda-performance - and use of school facilities - (by an adult-group fronting under the auspicious of a "school club activity") approved by the principal and school board? There is clearly over a 2/3 conservative voter-view within the Springfield district.
Perhaps, it is time for a change in principal, and a change in the local school-board.
Sincerely, |
17 Oct 04 - 12:57 AM (#1298826) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: GUEST,.gargoyle LaughKat (remember our "agreement") you try to stay below the BS line......and I will attempt to stay above.
The line-of-demarcation is clear....and we have not crossed paths recently....
Sincerely,
Consider the Fall change in light....perhaps it is time for you to return to the doctor for more than weight and blood-pressure? |
17 Oct 04 - 01:53 PM (#1299107) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: Mark Ross It was for the Springfield High Human Rights Alliance, a students club. Sparsely attended, but an enthusiastic audience. Strange thing was, when I got there there was another set of performers who were planning to do their own updated version, so I let them have the song. They bill themselves as ENEMY COMBATANTS and they were great! Peter Shabarek(?) and Carol Melia, really nice people and harmonies to die for, sort of reminded me of Jim & Jean, and/or Richard and Mimi Farina. It was nice to see young people getting involved and feeling politically active(tho I wish that they didn't place so much hope in the power of the balllot and our so-called democracy). Mark Ross |
17 Oct 04 - 02:43 PM (#1299153) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: McGrath of Harlow Did Lisa Simpson turn up? Sounds like her kind of thing... |
17 Oct 04 - 04:44 PM (#1299209) Subject: RE: Lyr Add: FIXING TO DIE RAG 2004 From: Richard Bridge I think the Wall street verse needs further attention - for one of the exploitative aspects of the invasion is that the USA (and allies) have destroyed Iraq's infrastructure, and yet rather than the US paying Iraq compensation, the reconstruction program will line the pockets of US companies - and to the extent that there is any aid program the funding will be recouped out of Iraq's remaining share of its own oil revenues - and the US capitalists will continue to suck the economic lifeblood out of Iraq for generations... |