Fathers are pleading, lovers are all alone
Mothers are praying--send our sons back home
You marched them away--yes, you did--on ships and planes
To the senseless war, facing death in vain
Bring the boys home (bring 'em back alive)
I would have thought that there would be better response. Here is another set of my favorite lyrics.
Dear Mrs.Roosevelt, don't hang your head and cry
His mortal flesh is laid away but his good work fills the sky
This world was lucky to see him born
Now he went up to grade school and he wrote back to his folks
He drew such funny pictures and was always pulling jokes
This world was lucky to see him born
He went up to Harvard to read his books of law
He loved his trees and horses, he loved everything he saw
This world was lucky to see him born
He got struck down by the fever and it settled in his leg
He loved the folks that wished him well and everybody did
This world was lucky to see him born
He took office on a crippled leg and he said to one and all
"Your money changing racket, boys, sure enough got to fall."
This world was lucky to see him born
I voted for him lots of times and I'd vote for him again
He tried to find an honest job for every idle man
This world was lucky to see him born
He helped me to build my union and he learned me how to talk
I could see he was a cripple but he learned my soul to talk
This world was lucky to see him born
I was a GI in the army the day he passed away
And over my shoulder I could hear some soldier say
"This world was lucky to see him born."
I know this world was lucky just to see him born
I know this world was lucky just to see him born
This world was lucky to see him born
In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
"You'll never leave Harlan alive"
Oh, my grandfather's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride
Said, "Won't you walk with me, out of the mouth of this holler
or we'll never leave Harlan alive"
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Till a man from the northeast arrived
Wavin' hundred dollar bills, said, "I'll pay you for your minerals"
But he never left Harlan alive
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pineville
To a farm where Big Richland River winds
And I bet they danced them a jig
And they laughed and sang a new song
"Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive"
But the times they got hard and tobacco wasn't sellin'
And old granddad knew what he'd do to survive
He went and dug for Harlan coal
And sent the money back to grandma
But he never left Harlan alive
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life diggin' coal from the bottom of your grave.
And you can do worse for a set of lyrics than these -
"Reach For The Sky"
When I was young I was invincible,
I find myself now thinking twice,
I never thought about no future,
its just the roll of the dice.
But the day may come when you've got something to lose,
and just when you think you're done paying dues
And you say to yourself, dear God what Have I done?
And hope its not too late 'cause tomorrow may never come.
[Chorus:]
Reach For the Sky, 'cause tomorrow may never come
Reach For the Sky, 'cause tomorrow may never come
Yesterday is history and tomorrow's a mystery
But baby right now, its just about you and me,
You can run you can hide, just like Bonnie and Clyde
Reach for the sky ain't never gonna die,
and I thank the Lord for the love I have found
and hold you tight cause tomorrow may never come.
[Chorus]
So if you please take this moment
Try if you can make it last
Don't think about no future and just forget about the past
and make it last.
[Chorus]
Been loving this accoustic version, gives me goosebumps every time and their age and the slower tempo gives it a special gravitias although I'll always love the original.
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