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Four Blank Slates
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Another song for Memorial Day. Based on something Anne Feeney told me about her visit to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial building in Pittsburgh.
politics marijuana cannabis antiwar political iraq media social struggle israel cuba pirates environment labor afghanistan empire imperialism capitalism terrorism activism bullying bullies ecoterrorism guerrilla gardening irish hunger strike oil leaks oil spills social change
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"If the great Phil Ochs were to rise from the dead today, he would probably be hailed as the new David Rovics." Andy Kershaw, BBC
Song Info
Genre
Rock • Folk Rock
Charts
Peak #67
Peak in subgenre #3
Author
david rovics
Rights
David Rovics 2006 All Rights Reserved
Uploaded
May 02, 2006
Track Files
MP3
MP3 8.6 MB • 320 kbps • 3:45
Story behind the song
Another song for Memorial Day. Based on something Anne Feeney told me about her visit to the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial building in Pittsburgh.
Lyrics
Beside an unused union hall And an abandoned factory By the Allegheny River In another rust belt city You can see the well-dressed families On Memorial Day Reading the names on the walls Of all those who went away Who went off in a ship And came back in a bag Packed into a coffin Wrapped up in a flag I saw a war on every stone I read a name on every line And when I reached the end A chill ran down my spine (Chorus) Four blank slates For battlefields yet unknown That soon some will call their own Four blank slates For the dice that aren’t yet tossed For the lives that aren’t yet lost For a war without a name What will be written on that stone Will it be on Persian soil Will they say it was for freedom Or Venezuelan oil The only thing that’s certain Is it will be across the sea And the new names on this rock Will have died in someone else’s country (Chorus) How many other nations Are already planning their next war How many people know It’ll be on someone else’s shore Will there come a time When all good people are enraged To see a slate awaiting A war that’s not yet waged (Chorus)
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