"Battle Hymn of the Republic" - Modified for Relevance Don Caron

[niyad]

NEW LYRICS for THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC There’s been a lot of talk about protecting our right, the right to keep and bear the arms that we’ll need for the fight. And while we’ve clung to that amendment with all of our might other rights have been withdrawn. The right to representative democracy is done. It is money that’s selecting all the candidates who run. It is money buying policies that impact everyone, and we fell for the con. Tyranny just overthrew you. Your gun’s no use ‘cause they outdrew you. But you don’t realize it do you, that the truth is now long gone. Our leaders passing laws that only benefit the rich: They take our last resources with a clever bait and switch. HMOs and banks and corporate CEOs that they enrich, and that’s what’s going on. Most voters favor tighter regulations on the banks, and taxes for the billionaires but they just say, “No thanks!" ‘Cause that of course is socialism, you fill in the blanks, but it’s you they prey upon. Don’t let the party platform fool you. Excuse us for a moment while we school you. You can’t let partisanship rule you, or the madness will go on. Our right to privacy is gone. Devices are the spies. For government surveillance those are now the ears and eyes. They use the corporate data — no subpoenas, no surprise, and still we don’t catch on. You can now be fired for expressing what you think, whether you’re at work or doing dishes in your sink. Your union cannot help you, they fell prey to doublethink. They lost the marathon. You decide who’s gonna rule you Look beyond the red and blue to find a way you can cut through the corruption that lives on. You have no right to education if among the poor. And if you try, a life of debt is what you have in store Education is related to the years you are good for, and those years are soon gone. Corporations freely do their business as monopolies. They are poisoning the planet and they do just as they please. Destroying the free market while they spread like a disease, as they keep marching on. No longer can we just stick to the party politics due to the fact that they are out to screw ya and that you can count on. Fifty companies provided all the news in ’84. Now there’s only six - it's 44 less than it was before. A media consensus now exists for every war, and the wars go on and on. There’s a way we can recover if we wake up and get smart. It will be a long slow process but a step is still a start. Instead of choosing from the menu we must order a la carte ’til the party power is gone. We’re the ones who hold the power. This has to be our finest hour. We’re the ones we must empower, so the truth goes marching on.

[Snellius]

1. Great but makes me miss Phil Ochs