Palestine

I’ll tell you a story, make it clear as I can
about the far away troubles in the holy land
pictures of the children etched in your mind
layin’ down their bodies on the firing line

and the people who live there, they live under the gun
where it was homeland for a thousand years before the soldiers come
surrounded by the armies, drones up in the sky
everybody knows someone who had to die

oh Palestine
goin’ home some time

talk about the settlers, come from so far away
talk about the money from the U.S.A.
talk about the bullets made of plastic and lead
‘neath the shadow of a boot heel over your head

what do you do when they come to your home
and they tell you your land is no longer your own
do you let them take it, do you dare to resist
standin’ in the road with a rock in your fist

oh Palestine
goin’ home some time

everybody’s got an origin, everybody’s got a myth
some people have a book that they carry it with
about a land where they come from and a land where they go
and a god with authority to tell them so

oh but I live in the real world, and as far as I can see
this world is smaller than it used to be
and the arc of justice is so true and strong
and no matter what your book says we have to get along

oh Palestine
goin’ home some time

we say we want peace, it’s a moral obligation
but there can be no peace in an occupation
we talk a good talk from one side of our tongue
from the other side makin’ everybody run

does it ever make you think about the friends we endorse
the armies of a general riding on an iron horse
does it ever make you wonder why it always seems to be
such an undemocratic version of democracy

oh Palestine
goin’ home some time
oh friend of mine
we will have piece some time