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.
 

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.

Endless Wars
Tune: “We Shall Not Be Moved”

Lyrics: Pam Drake, NYC Metro Raging Grannies

In 2008 the song was "Bush's Wars." Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf58OX4SntQ

We, shall not pay for Endless Wars;
We, shall not pay for Endless Wars.
We’ll pay for jobs
and health and education,
Not for Endless Wars!

We don’t want Obama;
fighting Endless Wars,
We don’t want Obama;
fighting Endless Wars,
We should all tell the pres- i- dent
at whitehouse - dot - gov !
No more Endless Wars!

Congress, work on health care,
not for Endless Wars;
Congress, work on new jobs,
not for Endless Wars.
We want to work,
on opportunities at home,
Not for Endless Wars!

Let’s all work together,
home from Endless Wars,
Let’s all work together,
home from Endless Wars,
We should bring all
the troops home from those wars
right now.
No more Endless Wars!
NO MORE Endless WARS!!!

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!

Recycling Rocks

Tune: "Jingle Bell Rock" by Bobby Helms
Lyrics: Sally Brown and Mercy Van Vlack of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters

You may be able to listen to us practicing this song if you click here (WMA file)

Recycling, Recycling, Recycling rocks !
Recycling swings, and Recycling brings:
Tying and sorting is bushels of fun !
Now recycling has begun!

Recycling, Recycling, Recycling rocks !
Recycled cans chime , in recycling time.
If you don't want garbage, piled up to your chin,
Recycling must begin!

What a nice time, do it right time
Bring your own bags to the sales.
Keep your stuff clean, out of the sly-ime,
Clean up the ocean and save the whales!

Recycling for everyone, not just for kids,
Recycling on your block!
Recycling cycles like the seasons of life,

Because Recycling,
Yeah, Recycling ,
Your Recycling Rocks!

Radical Environmentalists
Tune: “She’ll Be Comin’ ’Round the Mountain”

Lyrics: adapted from versions by Raging Grannies Kay Thode of Seattle and Vicki Ryder of Rochester/South Florida by Sunny Armer of NYC Metro and Westchester RG

Raging Grannies are environmentalists,
Yes, we're radical environmentalists.
When oil spills reach our sho-ores,
You will hear us and rage and ro-oar
'Cause we're radical environmentalists!

Oh, we like our veggies without pesticides,
Dairy products without hormones dumped inside.
We like clean air and clean water,
For our planet's sons and daughters
'Cause we're radical environmentalists!

We never eat food grown from gene-spliced seeds.
And we don’t care if our lawns are full of weeds.
We like forests filled with old trees
And rivers with no PCBs.
We're radical environmentalists!

Oh, we don't like energy from fossil fuels,
'Cause we know they poison earth, we ain't no fools!
We'd rather look at windmill blades
Than Indian Point near the Palisades
We're radical environmentalists.

We bring our shopping bags when we buy food,
And we want to change consumer attitude.
Recycle bottles, cans, and paper,
Show your love for Mother Nature,
Then you'll be a true environmentalist.

Indian Point Must Go!
Tune: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean

Lyrics by Sunny of of the NYC Metro Raging Grannies and Their Daughters andThe Raging Grannies … and Their Friends of Westchester County NY

We went to an NRC meeting.
Our words they did not want to hear:
Don't dare to extend this plant's license
By even as much as one year.

Yes, Entergy promises safety,
But sometimes their sirens don't blow,
And tritium leaks are polluting
So Indian Point has to go!

CHORUS: No nukes! No nukes! Indian Point has to go, Right now!
No nukes! No nukes! Yes Indian Point has to go!

This plant is unsafe for employees
But we don't want anyone fired.
Retrain them for alternate energy
And make sure that they get rehired.

This plant is a terrorist target.
Why not use much less toxic fuels?
Convert to a natural gas plant!
Secure those nu-cle-ar waste pools.

CHORUS: No nukes! No nukes! Indian Point has to go, Right now!
No nukes! No nukes! Yes Indian Point has to go!

The route for our evacuation
Won't work! We can't get out of town!
What good are clogged roads for escapin'
If Indian Point does melt down?

Our State DEC made a ruling
Hot water kills too many fish.
If Entergy can't build new coolers,
Relicensing plans should be squished.

SPOKEN: Then we grannies will get our wish.

VARIATION ON CHORUS
Shut it down! Shut it down! Indian Point is unsafe, we know!
Shut it down! Shut it down! Indian Point has to go! (Right Now!)

Gay Pride Month is Here
Tune: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home"
Lyrics: Joan Borgos of the Western Mass. Raging Grannies, updated by Vicki Ryder of the Rochester RGs, adapted by Sunny Armer of the NYC Metro RGs

You may be able to listen to us practicing this song if you click here (WMA file)

Ring wedding bells for brides and grooms,
Trans, bi, & gay.
For every sexuality,
A wedding day!
One man one woman is just one style:
Love is what will raise a child!
So we all feel pride when
Gay Pride Month is here.

Let’s live our lives and tell the truth
With joy and verve.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” is not a way
To work and serve.
The closet's not a friendly place.
We all could use a lot of space.
So we all feel pride when
Gay Pride Month is here.

Let’s join with the Gay Pride parade
So all can learn
How bills like Proposition 8
Get overturned. Sexuality's
not always straight,
It's something you can't legislate.
So we all feel pride when
Gay Pride Month is here.

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!