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War Crickets

from The Ashen Grove by Eli Wise

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about

Iraq War protest song

lyrics

Two brothers waiting on their mother
outside of church, sunday at noon
The oldest one stands shiftless in the dust
The younger boy hears crickets from the lawn
asks his brother, if he can go stalk them

Meanwhile, the army recruiter
leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette
says, “any of you all looking for a job
do you need a job?”

The young boy's crouching in the grass
Gonna keep still til the tall shadows pass
Or they'll throw their voices like lead
onto the delicate things he's trying to grasp

3rd week, in the desert sweat
Getting sickeningly used to the look of the dead
But at night he looks at the pictures his brother sent him

4th week shoots the wrong men dead
and he stands in horror at the innocence bled
He cradles his head, new troubles in his head

Oh now the young man's lying in the dark
says, I know God I have just a spark left
How can I shield it from this heat?
Young man praying in the dark
says, Yes God I will play my part
but I'm afraid if you don't use your power
to make this stop

Now the young boy hears the crickets from his bed
says mama why do they make the noises they do?
she says I don't know
maybe they're trying to talk to you
maybe they know something we ought to

And mama, when's my brother coming home?
She looks at the flags like flowers in the lawns
She says, I hope not long.

But the soldier's out on patrol
Til an explosion throws his whole
Unit to the ground
The soldier, lying on the ground
Says, mama there's chaos all around me.
Why can't we hear the sound?

credits

from The Ashen Grove, released February 15, 2011

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Eli Wise Oakland, California

Mythology set to music by the Oakland band. Vocal harmonies, ethereal guitars, and driving rhythm.

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