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somebody wrote the blues one day . goes like this …

somebody wrote the words to the song
about a love walked out the door
but i can’t sing about a love got lost
i’m not sure there’s gonna be a world to make love in anymore

got us a new president
used to play with guns when he was just a little boy

says we’ve got to keep up with the soviets
wants to build bombs while we all keep score
lemme tell you what his toys’ll cost
if we don’t stop him soon, he’s gonna get us into the final war

we send money to those ‘third world’ countries
to ‘promote democracy’

we pay our tax then watch our government
just shut their eyes and pick a side
now i turn and ask those elected men
how come back in vietnam all those innocent people died

i turn my eyes to el salvador
so many people dying every day

i feel like we need to take control
where our arms and monies are supplied
if we send our war toys to el salvador
we’re financing the juntas’ game … juntas’ game of genocide

i said we need to take control
because if we don’t soon, there’s not gonna be a world to make love in anymore

79 or 80

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red womin

pain runs from those ancient eyes
strong as a tree grows tall, you thought you’d seen it all
but the white man has brought one more surprise

red womin

you hold your grandchild in your arms
she didn’t feel the pain, but all her blood’s been drained
by the white man’s charms
moved in upon you without warning, they pushed you from your land
you could’ve given up or run, but you chose to take a stand
they left your warrior lying dead beside you with a treaty in his hand

black womin

your children labor in the sun
you look to the sky and plea for the day you can all be free
but the white man holds a gun

black womin

from dawn ’til dark you work the fields
then when the night time comes, the white man takes you in his arms
just to save your life, you yield
somehow you have no freedom, you’ll work until you die
dying won’t come easy . you’ll suffer and you won’t know why
all your hopes are for your children’s children : they’ll escape the white man’s lie

80s after reading creek mary’s blood by dee brown

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you can beat your wife, mister . you can beat your children, too

you can even take her life, mister . it will all come back to you

you can hassle us at work, mister . even make us do your chores

you can try to take our job, mister . we won’t let you close the door

we are women, and you can’t keep us down

you can line us up for battle, mister . but you’ll sit and watch us bleed

put a gun into my hand, mister . we won’t fight for what we do not need

you can build the biggest bombs, mister . send them flying through the air

when you’re left here feeling sad, mister, there’ll be no one left to care

we are your children, and we don’t need your wars

winter park early 80s