The next Best Political Song thread

By me, it's "Country At War" by X. Lemme hear yours. If I can get any traction with this, maybe a poll is in the offing.

by Cary Swinney

I took my bike out for a ride
on the lower southeast side

Where a young man should not ride
or come 'a goin'

The bluebonnets were in bloom
on a Texas afternoon

A mockingbird sang out a tune
for those who'll listen

People sleepin' in the streets of downtown Dallas
amidst the sound of Sunday's church bell afternoon

And I wonder sometimes, when they might come to
their minds

and a revolution shall ensue

I'm bettin' that a bloody revolution shall ensue

The propaganda just appears
in some TV ad for beer

But it does not show the fear
that we are hiding

Another touchdown from a run
another helmet comes undone

To show the world our toothless gums
and two gold earrings

Was nothing truly learned from Martin Luther King?
I guess all that civil rights stuff was a dream

Now our new prisons grow more full with angry citizens
and the rest of us are numbers in the game
I guess the rest of us are numbers in the game

It's so hard to define,

what is yours and what is mine
for with these nationalistic minds
we're surely crippled

We're spoon-fed through our TVs,
where our so-called enemies
are pointed out to you and me
like answered riddles

Is it no mystery to anyone that they're lying?
Even the old men down at the pool hall say that's true

And I wonder sometimes, when they might come to
their minds
and a revolution shall ensue
I'm bettin' that a bloody revolution shall I ensue

Sleep Now In The Fire

The world is my expense
The cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
So raise your fists
And march around
Just dont take what you need
Ill jail and bury those committed
And smother the rest in greed
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Or Ill drag you to your grave
Im deep inside your children
Theyll betray you in my name

Hey, Hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, Hey
Sleep now in the fire

The lie is my expense
The scope of my desire
The party blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
I am the Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agents of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
Sleep now in the fire

Hey, Hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, Hey
Sleep now in the fire

For its the end of history
Its caged and frozen still
There is no other pill to take
So swallow the one
That made you ill
The Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agents of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
Sleep now in the fire

Yeaaaaaah

Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire
Sleep now in the fire

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning, hold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas that are driving me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I-- ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well he hands you a nickel, he hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin if you're having a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Well he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
His bedroom window, it is made out of bricks
The National Guard stands around his door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well she talks to all the servants about Man and God and Law
Everybody says she's the brains behind Pa
She's sixty-eight, but she says she's fifty-four
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well I try my best to be just like I am
But everybody wants you to be just like them
They say sing while you slave, but I just get bored
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

"I'll Overcome Some Day" (1900), and opening and closing melody from the 19th-century spiritual "No More Auction Block for Me" (a song that dates to before the Civil War). According to Professor Donnell King of Pellissippi State Technical Community College (in Knoxville, Tenn.), "We Shall Overcome" was adapted from these gospel songs by "Guy Carawan, Candy Carawan, and a couple of other people associated with the Highlander Research and Education Center, currently located near Knoxville, Tennessee. I have in my possession copies of the lyrics that include a brief history of the song, and a notation that royalties from the song go to support the Highlander Center."

1.
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

CHORUS:
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day

2.
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand
We'll walk hand in hand some day

CHORUS

3.
We shall all be free
We shall all be free
We shall all be free some day

CHORUS

4.
We are not afraid
We are not afraid
We are not afraid some day

CHORUS

5.
We are not alone
We are not alone
We are not alone some day

CHORUS

6.
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around
The whole wide world around some day

CHORUS

7.
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day

CHORUS