Of terrorism plots and other things

To kill Americans like you and I

Who wrote the songs

Who wrote the songs

Pearl Jam and Jackson Browne

And Rage Against the Machine
They put the F.O.I.A. request together

They’re the writers

And they are pissed . . . because . . .

Enhanced interrogators played their songs

At painful volume all day and night long

For information whether truth or lie

Who paid the bills

Who paid the bills

We’re the taxpayers, and WE paid the bills

Pumped into the nostrils

Through a finger-wide tube

Is not caring, it’s hostile

Over there on Guantanamo

A hunger strike is proceeding

The guards’ll show them a thing or two

If they refuse to be eating

Forced feeding is not

Ethical, moral or legal

On the conscience a blot

To all civilized people

If inmates go on a hunger strike

There’s got to be a good reason

Obama, why don’t you find out why

And stop this barbaric feedin

Of food, horrible food, sickening food, torturous food!

Extremes of heat and cold

Sleep deprivation

Prolonged isolation

Stress and duress

What a bloody mess

We must investigate war crimes.

Enhanced interrogation

Cheney told the nation

But it’s torture under

Real adjudication

It’s a crime in every land

So here is our demand

We must prosecute war crimes

Investigate, prosecute Bush war crimes!!!

Mean lots of money in the bank

For KBR and Boeing too

Who foots the bill?

It’s me and you

Even if they replace tanks

Those for peace cannot give thanks

A company called ITT

Makes unmanned drones for you and me.

Every drone costs thirteen mil

A “safer way” they say, to kill!

Americans, not in harm’s way

But Pakistanis die each day.

Drones over Afghanistan

Kill many women, kids, and men

Controlled from half a world away

They stalk people at work and play.

Thirteen million dollars, wow!

We could use that dough right now

 For teachers here and nurses there

And for green jobs everywhere.

How long will humans
continue fighting
killing each other
for ages long
wearing their armor
like a badge of honor
and never think it
is so wrong?

It’s power grabbing
not dying soldiers
that keep them busy,
They are insane.
Their values flawed,
they are confused,
They must still
have reptilian brains.

It’s up to us now
Granny Peace Makers
to show the world that
peace can be won.
A lot of hard work
will be required
but it’s our job
and must be done.

We’re the Raging Grannies and we want you all to know
That war is not the way to peace and we must all say NO!
We’ve seen it time and time again – war’s not the way to go!
We rage to end all war!

Chorus:   
         Happy Mother’s Day to all you Grannies,
         Here’s hoping that you’ll get up off your fannies,
         And join us on this day as we proclaim with all our might:
         It’s time to end all war!

We put away our knitting, tuck the grandkids into bed,
Throw on our shawls and aprons, put our hats upon our heads.
Inspired by the suffragists, we do not lightly tread,
We rage to end all war!

Chorus

They took our sons and daughters and they sent them off to die;
Said we had to kill Osama ’though those weapons were a lie.
Now some other mother bids her child a tearful last good-bye.
We rage to end all war!

Chorus

 They want to take our Medicare, our schools and parks and more,
So they’ll have the money that they need to keep on makin’ war.
We’re here to say on Mother’s Day that really makes us sore!
We rage to end all war!

Chorus

Why don’t we do something for the homeless?
Why don’t we do more for the poor?
Why yap endlessly about ECONOMY,
While those in true need we ignore?

And why spend more than a billion dollars,
Guarding G-20 leaders so ‘frail’?
When cops just stand back while cars are burning…
And NEXT day throw innocents in jail!

How much do we value our democracy?
It’s heavily under attack
Our rights have been trampled and deleted
Let’s vote now to get them all back!

Or download this song in a word.doc, How Much

Were you mad when all our taxes
Went to fund a senseless war?
Were you mad when they didn’t catch bin Laden?
Were you mad when they used torture?
Or our jobs went overseas?
No, you’re just mad ‘cause a sick kid might get health care.

Were you mad when folks who voted
Couldn’t get their votes to count?
Were you mad when they gave the rich those tax breaks?
When our government used wiretaps
Or let New Orleans drown?
No, you’re just mad ‘cause a sick kid might get health care.

Were you mad when our surplus
Turned into a deficit?
When we spent eight-hundred billion on the war?
When our schools were going bankrupt
While the fat cats got bailed out?
No, you’re just mad ‘cause a sick kid might get health care.

Were you mad when banks and businesses
Kept piling up the dough
While we lost our jobs, our health care, and our pensions?
When deregulation meant that
People’s houses got foreclosed?
No, you’re just mad ‘cause a sick kid might get health care.

Well, call us socialists
Or call us any name you like,
But we Grannies know the truth and that’s for sure,
We could pay our nation’s debts
And get everyone’s needs met
If we weren’t spending trillions on the war.
(When the people’s needs are met,
Then you can surely bet,
That we won’t be mad when sick kids get free health care.)

CHORUS:

You can’t stomp on,  you can’t stomp on, you can’t stomp on me!
We still have rights and we will fight ’til everyone is free.
Oh, you can’t stomp on,  you can’t stomp on, you can’t stomp on me!
We still have rights and we will fight for human dignity.

We have the right to speak and demonstrate, it’s true.
And we will not be stopped by bully thugs like you!
We won’t apologize or take back what we say.
We’ll speak our minds but we’ll be kind… non-violence is the way.

[REPEAT CHORUS]

In these United States, there’s room enough for all:
The young, the old, the straight and gay, and immigrants short and tall.
We’ll keep on speaking out for civil rights and peace,
But we will not be stomped upon! This violence must cease!

[REPEAT CHORUS]

Back in 1991,
The Iron Curtain came crashing down.
No more big bad enemy,
No need for nukes and tanks you see.

All that cash, ours to spend,
Was known as the peace dividend.
We’d use it for schools and healthcare,
To be fair, the wealth to share.

Environmental cleanup too,
That bill was long overdue,
But it was just a dream because
America must have its wars.

War on terror, war on drugs,
The whole world thinks that we are thugs,
Let’s stop all this insanity
And make the dream reality.