I wrote and recorded this song a few days after the attacks on the World Trade Center. I was planning to meet up with Upski and Gita at Union Square for a candlelight vigil when the lyrics just kind of spilled out of me. That type of writing is rare for me so I just went with the flow, at first worrying that I was going to be late, then worrying that I was going to miss the vigil altogether. I sat in my kitchen and recorded the lyrics through the little speakers in my laptop to help me remember how to say them. In the end I never went back and did "final" takes. When I thought about it later, I decided not to edit the lyrics or redo the vocals but to leave it as a document to what was on my mind in those days. I got to the vigil late and missed the ceremonial part of it. I consider this song a decent alternative.
lyrics
Dust to ash and ash to dust / Cameras shoot but don't focus fast enough / Downtown covered in trash and a lasting hush / Newsmen scrambling asking us / "What did you see and where were you?" / And "did they get anybody that you knew?" / Meanwhile there's a party up 8th Avenue / Big screen CNN and plenty of brew
Chorus:
And no one wants to be alone tonight / Someone's rallying the troops to fight / The president's trying to make show of might / Might be that we're all wrong we might be right
Walking 14th from West to East to say the least everyone's stunned some talking 'bout peace / Some talking 'bout war, "we've gotta even the score" / Some talking 'bout the Muslims who run the corner store / And I'm gonna be sick if I hear it anymore / Nukes ready in a ship sittin' just off shore / And there's this neighborhood girl I know I've seen before / Talkin' 'bout her mother worked on the ninety third floor / Just part the masses school kids with no classes / Flags at half mast / Smiles that are half fast / Bush pushin' for us to have the last laugh / But there's no room for laughter after this blood bath / Just fast and pray / Prepare for the last day / Cast away everything that
you're used to / Refuse to believe what we see with our own eyes / In denial believing our own lies
Chorus
Now I can understand the anger banging out so many hearts / 'Cause it was more than just two buildings that them devils tore apart / But when we start to pointin' fingers I get queasy and sick / Knowing deep in my heart that it comes down to politics / And who died and lied electing George Jr. as God? / And who supplies the arms that usually get used for the job? / And what be making men mad enough to do these things? / And what makes our pain enough for them to want to dance and sing? / One glance brings only superficial answers / But we need to look inside ourselves to find the cancer / Gotta stand for something or you'll fall for it all / While our enemies are training we be off in the mall / And I for one am sick of guns and pointless loss of life / Sick of Christians claiming God but so damn ready to fight / Sick of government officials with their fingers on the button / Tired of heads of state frontin' talkin' loud and sayin' nothing / It's a shame that it came to this but if I raise my fist / It's for peace at least to coexist / And if we have to kill in the name of being free / Then ya'll can start it off by killing me for real
Chorus
Now I can understand the anger banging out so many hearts/'Cause it was more than just two buildings that them devils tore apart/But when we start to pointin' fingers I get queesy and
sick/Knowing deep in my heart that it comes down to politics/And who died and lied electing George Jr as God?/And who supplies the arms that usually get used for the job?/And what be making men mad enough to do these things?/And what makes our pain enough for them to want to dance and sing?/One glance brings only superficial answers/But we need to look inside ourselves to find the cancer/Gotta stand for something or you'll fall for it all/While our enemies are training we be off in the mall/And I for one am sick of guns and pointless loss of life/Sick of Christians claiming God but so damn ready to fight/sick of government officials with their fingers on the button/Tired of heads of state frontin' talkin' loud and sayin' nothing/It's a shame that it came to this but if I raise my fist/It's for peace at least to coexist/And if we have to kill in the name of being free/Then ya'll can start it off by killing me for real
Chorus
credits
from Radio Free Brooklyn,
released January 1, 2002
(P. Ho, Big Brother Lin Drum Music, BMI)
Written, produced, and engineered by Pete Miser in the G.V.A.C. Kitchen
Mixed by Mark Plati at Duotone Audio, NYC
Acoustic guitar: Pete Miser
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