We’re Not Fixin’ to Die Rag

Lyrics by Sunny Armer and Corinne Willinger of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters

Tune: “I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag” as performed by Country Joe and the Fish at Woodstock

Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuNZZKxC5Z8

SING CHORUS FIRST:
And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fightin’ for?
First it was WMD,
Now it’s "stability."
And it’s five, six, seven,
It’s worse than Watergate.
Force the Congress to find out why
Bush sent our soldiers to die.

VERSE 1:
Join us, all good women and men,
America’s been asleep again.
The Constitution's been under attack
Here at home and in Iraq.
If our troops don’t lay down their guns,
We’re gonna have a revolution.

REPEAT CHORUS

VERSE 2:
Moms and Daddies watch your schools;
Recruiters treat your kids like fools.
They promise kids an education
Then they invade another nation.
Troops face bombs and IED’s,
And go home as amputees.

VARIATION ON CHORUS

And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fightin’ for?
Don’t Americans give a damn?
Next stop, Afghanistan.
And it’s five, six, seven,
It’s worse than Watergate.
Force the Congress to find out why
Bush sent our soldiers to die.

VERSE 3:
Reservists and the National Guard
Get shipped out: “All aboard!”
If they don’t die on their first tour,
They get sent back for more and more,
They get called up till age 42.
Grannies, they’re coming for you!

REPEAT VARIATION ON CHORUS

No Bases Song

Lyrics by Corinne Willinger and Mercy Van Vlack of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters
Tune: "There is Nothing Like A Dame"

Watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRIQe-hGaMc

We have bases in Hawaii, and bases all around,
In old Peru and Timbuktu, wherever there is ground.
In one hundred thirty countries, and in every case,
What do they give us, ANOTHER base!

There is nothing like a base.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD
And we have them every place
We will soon have them up in space.

In one hundred thirty countries, on every continent
On the land we occupy, their people don't consent.
In Turkey and the Phillippines, in Okinawa too,
Whatever we do there - we must undo!

There is nothing like a base.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD
And we have them every place
We will soon have them up in space.

Seven hundred thirty seven, foreign bases plus,
We dominate these countries, they fear and don't want us.
Let the U.S. people know, our bases we must yield,
We only want our bases, on a baseball field!

There is nothing like a base.
NOTHING IN THIS WORLD
And we have them every place
We will soon have them up in space.
 

Hark! The Humpback Whale Sings!
 

Lyrics by Sally Brown with Mercy Van Vlack of the of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters
Tune: “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”

Hark! The humpback whale sings,
Glorious is this ocean king!
Peace on earth, and save the wild,
God and whalers reconcile.
Joyful, all ye nations, please,
Save the triumph of the seas;
With pen & paper please proclaim:
"Humpback whales, must remain! "
Hark! The humpback whales sing,
Glory to this ocean king!

Whales, by highest heav'n adored:
Let’s preserve these great Sea Lords;
What in time, if they all die?
Whales no more to breach on high.
Killed for flesh and endless greed,
Claimed for research, for no need.
Please, all nations let them dwell.
Be sure to write your capitol!
Hark! The humpback whales sing,
Glory to this ocean king!

Hail! the heav'ns - thar she blows!
Hail! this king!, as he shows!
Light and life to all he brings.
God please bless these majestic beings.
Miles they swim so gloriously by,
None should cause their demise:
Born to reign the seas of Earth,
Let the whales sing with mirth.
Hark! The humpback whales sing,
Glory to this ocean king!
Hear! The humpback whales sing.
Let's all save this ocean king!
 

Better Power

Lyrics by Pam Drake of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters
Tune: "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (also known as "To Everything There Is a Season")
 

Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuNZZKxC5Z8

If everyone (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
Used the wind's power (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
We would not need to get our power from oil.
There would be windmills all over the land.
There'd be no oil wells, they would be banned.
There would be Better Power at our command.
There would be cleaner and cheaper energy.

If everyone (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
Used solar power (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
We would not need to get our power from oil.
There'd be no drills, no drills for oil.
There'd be no spills, no spills of oil.
There'd be no wars, no wars for oil.
There would be cleaner and cheaper energy.

If everyone (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
Used hydro power (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
We would not need to get our power from oil.
We'd get our power from cool water's flow,
Instead of the black tower we've come to know.
Isn't it time for a new way to go?
Let's work for cleaner and cheaper energy.
 

The Immigrants Song

Lyrics by Lillian Pollak of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters
Tune: "Don’t Fence Me In"

Oh give us space, a little space,
Beneath the starry skies above.
Don't kick us out!
Let us live and work
In this great country that we love.
Don't kick us out!

Like other immigrants who come here . . poor and hungry,
We work real hard, we pay our rent,
We spend our money,
Let all of us be citizens of this fair country.
Don't kick us out!

Oh give us space, a little space,
Beneath the starry skies above.
Don't kick us out!
Let us live and work
In this great country that we love.
Don't kick us out!

Workers from other lands
have made the US strong.
Like us they earned the right to say,
"It's where we all belong!"
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee" can be our national song.
Don't kick us out!

Vets at Walter Reed

Lyrics by Nora Freeman and Sunny Armer of the of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters

Tune: "My Little Playmate"

Where is the healthcare
For vets at Walter Reed?
Congress, support the troops!
Don’t make them jump through hoops
To get the benefits
That they so sorely need.
Don’t put them on the street
And shut the door.

Some War on Terror vets
May have PTSD,
Severe brain injuries,
And some are amputees.
Don’t send them to Iraq
Or to Afghanistan
Keep them all safe at home
Away from war.

They’re facing homelessness,
Divorce, and suicide.
Misery is all around
That’s what our vets have found.
Let’s tell Obama
To stop this deadly game.
It’s time we all stand up
To shout NO MORE!

Alive Alive-oh

Tune: "Sweet Molly Malone")
Lyrics by Mercy Van Vlack and Corinne Willinger, with Will Morgan and Ken Gale

In this New York City, it’s such a damn pity.
They’re taking our children, to fight in the War.
All over the nation, to our great frustration,
They’ll die for a lie, a lie we all know.

CHORUS
Alive alive-oh, alive alive-oh,
We want our troops HO-ME, alive-alive-oh.

In Colorado Springs, there are awakenings,
Young people in camouflage, funerals galore.
The war we must end, our troops we defend,
Not crippled or damaged, But alive alive-oh.

REPEAT CHORUS

The New Orleans flood, folks drowning in mud.
Were all left defenseless against nature’s wrath.
Troops went to Iraq, and couldn’t come back,
To help the 9th Ward stay, alive, alive-oh.

REPEAT CHORUS TWICE


Let Our Children Grow!
Tune:  “When Israel Was in Egypt Land” (also known as “Go Down, Moses”)
Lyrics by Alice Sutter of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters

When recruiters are in education land
Let our children grow!
It is our job to get them banned
Let our children grow!

Get out army
Our kids don’t need your lies
Poetry! Music!
No recruiters No!

Sergeant Chiroux heard their lies
Let our children grow!
He was ordered to Iraq to kill and die
Let our children grow!

Get out army
Our kids don’t need your lies
Poetry! Music!
No recruiters No!

Chiroux refused with a mighty shout
No, I will not go!
He called for troops to get right out
No, I will not go!

Get out army
Our kids don’t need your lies
Poetry! Music!
No recruiters No!
 

PlayStation: War Is Not a Videogame
Lyrics by Sunny Armer
Tune: “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy”

Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B68VCOTDSmU

He was just a normal, ordinary high school boy.
His Game Boy and his X-Box games gave him great joy.
He was the best guy at those games,
But it was only for fun
Till the recruiters came.
He joined the Army then,
And now his claim to fame
Is his high score killing human beings without getting blamed.

She was just a normal, ordinary high school girl.
Her X-Box and her Game Boy really rocked her world.
She was the best girl at those games.
But it was only for fun
Till the recruiters came.
She joined the Army then.
They taught her better aim,
But when civilians died her guilt could not be restrained.

Bang, boom , deedlee-ee beep!
Recruiting stations these days
Use simulations
Where kids sit in tanks and blow up bad guys
From foreign nations.
Recruiters tell the kids
War’s like a videogame,
But after real-life battles kids are never the same.

Most kids feel immortal and think they can’t die.
They can’t imagine injuries might wreck their lives,
Or that post-traumatic stress
Can shake up their brains,
And leave them depressed.
Recruiting stations wear
PlayStation camouflage.
Don’t let them draw our kids in with a high-tech mirage!