Power and Greed

I became fascinated as a young boy with the Beatnik culture partly by watching "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" in the early sixties. My favorite character was Maynard G. Krebs played by Bob Denver who later went on to Gilligan fame and fortune. I loved the Beatnik poetry readings with the bongo drums and the smoke filled rooms filled with long hairs in sunglasses. The predecessors to the hippies of which I became and am. In fact that's the only label I now ascribe to, old fucking hippie. I can be much more if I want but that is what I want to be. Anyway, I wrote this with a Beatnik poetry bar in mind, jack daniels and smoke filled with laid back people in sunglasses. People that understand.

World at war
What for
Not for a nuke
You’d have to be a kook
To believe that.

Or an American
Singing Yes We Can
Filled with hope, like a dope
From a politicians words
Again and again.

War is a Racket
The General Said
Full Metal Jacket
You’ll all end up dead
For power and greed

The only red line
Is for power and greed
They take what they want
And they get what they need
It's as simple as that.

Power and greed, power and greed
They take what they want
And get what they need

They lied to us then
They’re lying to us now
It’s always the same
The key to their game
Why would that change?

Don’t believe them
Just give it a try
The more who believe
The more who will die
That’s no lie

Why do you listen
Haven’t you learned
Do you still believe the lies
Do you like getting burned
What is it with you?

They want a new war
I said War is a Racket
They want a new war
I SAID WAR IS A RACKET
Why isn’t that clear?

What more do you need?

Power and Greed, Power and Greed
They take what they want
And get what they need.

It's all in our minds
What we're made to believe
The excuses for war
Must not be received
No more, no more.

It shouldn't matter
What they tell us is wrong
The reasons they use
For war are as long
As history itself.

Don't believe the lies
Enough is enough
Listen to the cries
Of those we are killing
For power and greed

Power and Greed, Power and Greed
They take what they want
And get what they need.