Below is the link to a new song I've just finished writing and recording called "In The Land Of The Free".
Before I let you in on the inspiration for that song, I'm going to "spam" this place - - just a little. I can't afford to advertise here or anywhere else and that's why I'm taking advantage of this article to tell you that my newest CD entitled Lights Over The Bar has been released.
The only other thing I'll say about Lights Over The Bar is that Jim Bush, who's published a lot of his wonderful poetry here at OpEdNews wrote the lyrics to the tenth track on Lights Over The Bar. The song to which Jim wrote the lyrics is called "Crossroad Bridge #3".
To be fair, Rob offered me some help in advertising here at OEN, but there was another issue with which he helped me and a new contributor to OEN. Rob has done so much for OEN and the Progressive Community in general that there was no way that I was going to take that much advantage of his kindness. So, I hope this small bit of "spam" doesn't bother him.
Now, about the new song, "In The Land Of The Free".
It deals with torture and it begins by looking at torture from the perspective of a young, gung-ho soldier who's just gotten to Iraq and is ready to kick some Arab ass. More specifically, it was inspired by a soldier who was interviewed in Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11".
If you've seen the film, you may remember a young soldier who'd just arrived in Iraq and had some heavy metal music playing either through head phones under his helmet or somewhere in the vehicle which he had just exited. He was ready to kill. He almost reminded me of the part in "Alice's Restaurant" when Guthrie (Arlo, that is) starts screaming, "I wanna kill. Kill! Kill! Kill!" I forget exactly how many times he says it, but, if you're familiar with the song, you know what I'm talking about.
So, part of the song is from this young "patriot's" point of view and the chorus and part of the last couple of verses actually answer that gung-ho point of view.
I not only hope that you enjoy the song, but I hope it means something to you.
No way that we're gonna leave here.
We're staying 'til this war is won.
Don't take no sh*t from no sandman.
Look at the damage we've done.
We'll make 'em cop to their plans while
we work on 'em one at a time.
Geared up for every detainee,
don't care if they did any crime.
Sounds like you're overlooking
our great American dream.
Think about living in the land of the free
while you bust 'em, you break 'em
and you make 'em say what you wanna hear.
Skies are dark,
the ground's overflowing
with the blood of badass young boys;
wading in puddles of crimson;
learnin' that guns just ain't toys.
This ain't no videotainment;
you're chokin' 'cause you're trying to get air.
All thoughts of awesome engagement
have morphed to fear and despair.
Too many won't get a chance at
our great American dream.
They won't be returning to the land of the free;
they been busted, they been broken,
they been made to say what they wanna hear.
