Just a note: This song was written about Gaza, but I would prefer to adapt it so it covers all children of war…..or perhaps more than one round could be used, substituting Darfur for Gaza (and sadly, others).
Granny Donna

THE CHILDREN OF GAZA
(tune: Sound of Silence)
By Sally Alice Thompson, Albuquerque WILPF
Raging Grannies and Corinne Willinger, NYMetro R.G.s

When I think of Gaza’s plight,
It’s children haunt me day and night.
Of the children who are crying,
Of the children who are dying,
And the things they’ve seen
That no-one should have to bear
Happening there.
So filled with fear
They’re silent.

Children should be having fun,
Safe place to play, safe place to run,
Wholesome food and good clean water,
Safe for parent, son and daughter,
And we must hope and together we must strive
Keep them alive
Not filled with fear
And silent.

In our country we ignore
All the horror of this war,
No-one hears the children crying,
No-one sees the people dying,
But we must stop this sad complacency,
Stop tragedy;
WE WILL NOT BE SILENT
WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.

No Comments | In: Articles and News, Songs | tags: children, Peace, war. | #

I WATCHED IT AT HOME ON TV
(My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean) by Gillian Edwards

A MILLION DIED IN RWANDA
I’M NOT SURE HOW THAT AFFECTS ME
BUT I DO KNOW ABOUT ALL THE KILLING
I WATCHED IT AT HOME ON TV

ENDLESS WARS GO ON IN GAZA
AND NO MATTER WHICH SIDE YOU SEE
INNOCENT PEOPLE ARE DYING
I WATCHED IT AT HOME ON TV

WOMEN ARE RAPED IN DARFUR
MILLIONS HAVING TO FLEE
WHOLE FAMILIES LIVING IN TERROR
I WATCHED IT AT HOME ON TV

STOP WARS, STOP WARS
WE MUST STOP THE KILLING RIGHT NOW, SOMEHOW,
STOP WARS, STOP WARS,
WE MUST STOP THE KILLING RIGHT NOW

WE ALL MUST GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING
NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT MAY BE
WE CANNOT STOP WARS AND KILLING
BY WATCHING IT AT HOME ON TV

STOP WARS, STOP WARS
WE MUST STOP THE KILLING RIGHT NOW, SOMEHOW,
STOP WARS, STOP WARS,
WE MUST STOP THE KILLING RIGHT NOW

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: Add new tag, Peace, war. | #

This was contributed by Rose on the E-vine:

Health Care / Money songs:
1)Get Your Elbows Off The Table

When someone who is working goes off sick
And they can’t afford a doctor real quick
Then the family’s does the care
Takes off working to be there
Whamo goes our labour force, down in a tick!

If we’re looking for a good economy
Then we need some healthy workers, dontcha see?
We’ll all make bigger bucks
When our health care doesn’t sick
*Single user pay’s the plan for you and me

*(Or the name of whatever you Americans think works – in Canada we’d sing: Universal care’s the only plan for me!).

2) Childhood Politically Incorrect Tune ( 1 little, 2 little, 3 little…)

One little, two little, three little dollars
Gotta squeeze ‘em until they holler
Where’s the best place to put that money?
Make a new health care system!

One little, two little, three little sick ones
Spreading their germs with no dough to fix ‘em
We’ve gotta get us a brand new system
Have we got a plan for you!

*Single user pay, that’s the ticket
It will work but we all gotta pick it
Anything else, tell them where to stick it!
Single user pay now!

3) South of the Border (tune) *Could use morrocas and tambourines & ham it up

North of the border
In New Mexico
That’s where we need a break
For goodness sake
On health care rates
And we sure don’t wonder
We know what we need
*Single user pay plan
Is welcome indeed!
I – yi-yi-yi (point to self)
And You, you you! (point to audience)

4) Tune: Oh where oh where has my little dog gone?

Oh where oh where will we get the bucks
To fund a decent health plan?
Government waste will fund more than a taste
Let’s lobby our dear congressman.

5) Silver Threads Among The Gold

Darling, I am growing sicker
And I know we’re out of gold
But our government can fix this
If we make sure that they’re told

*Single user pay’s the answer
Write your congressperson dear
With the proper health insurance
I’ll be better, never fear.

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: children, economic justice, economy, health care, health insurance, jobs, poverty. | #

This Old Gray Granny “F”

(”The Old Gray Mare”)

Lyrics © by Vicki Ryder

This OLD gray Granny ain’t what she used to be,

HAD a hysterectomy,  NEEDS a colonoscopy,

But SHE can’t afford to PAY for her care and so

I GUESS we’ll have to shoot her now.

‘Cause WHERE is she supposed to go

WHEN she doesn’t have the dough?

She DARE not get sick without health insurance so

I GUESS we’ll have to shoot her now.

This OLD gray Granny SPLITS all her pills in half.

The DRUG companies just laugh; Their PROFITS are off the graph.

But GRANNY can’t afford to PAY for her pills and so

I GUESS we’ll have to shoot her now.

‘Cause WHAT is she supposed to do

When MONEY for the rent is due?

She CAN’T buy pills and GROCERIES, too, and so

I GUESS we’ll have to shoot her now.

This OLD gray Granny NOW needs a test or two.

Her BOOB has a lump, it’s true. But WHAT is she supposed to do?

She CAN’T pay the bill so she’ll JUST have to muddle through.

I GUESS we’ll have to shoot her now.

Well, GRANNY’s old but she is wise.

She KNOWS we have to organize,

So CALL up your rep and SENators, too.

We want SINGLE payer HEALTH care for us all!

Just GIVE your Representatives a call,

And TELL ‘em we need health care, one and all!

Then OLD gray granny WON’T have to worry

‘Cause we WILL not have to SHOOT her after all!

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: economic justice, economy, feminism, health care, health insurance, raging grannies. | #

Bail Out the People  

(Tune:  “Roll Out the Barrel”)

Lyrics by Vicki Ryder/Revised by W. MA. Song Committee 1/09

Bail out the people

Give them the money they need.

To hell with the bankers

Who suffer from terminal greed.

Bail out the people,

That’s where our taxes should go.

We say no bailouts to bankers

Or to the big three CEOs.

We hate to say it

Fascism seems to have come:

The poor, they go hungry,

We bail out the corporate scum.

They take our tax money

And send all our jobs overseas.

We’re losing our health care and homes now,

While the rich do as they please.

Layoffs are rising

And more folks are now unemployed.

Whatever happened

To the land of the free we enjoyed?

It’s time for the Grannies

To rise up and now take a stand!

We’ll rage to bail out the people

And we’ll shout out, “Yes, we can!”

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: Bail out, corporate greed, economic justice, economy, health care. | #

What Do We Want from Obama?

(Tune: “99 Bottles of Beer”)

Lyrics by Vicki Ryder and the NYC Grans

What do we want from Obama,

The man we’d like to love?

We’re here to tell you what we wrote

To him on change-dot-gov:

We want our troops brought home real quick,

And all the wars to cease,

‘Cause bombs and occupation

Are not the way to peace.

We want fair and equal treatment

For folks both straight and gay,

And an end to corporate bailouts…

Those with the most should pay!

We want single-payer health care,

Or else you’ll hear us rage,

And jobs that stay right here at home

And pay a living wage.

We want our civil liberties

(We wonder where they went?)

Don’t label folks as terrorists

When they choose to dissent.

This country must stop torture

For justice to prevail.

To teach the world how wrong it is -

Put Cheney and Bush in jail.

Now you know what we want, Obama.

If you want the Grannies’ love,

You’ll make these changes that we sent

To you on change-dot-gov.

(Yes, you’ll make these changes that we sent

To you on change-dot-gov.)

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: Afghanistan, bush, cheney, economic justice, health care, jobs, living wage, obama, Peace, terrorism, war. | #

Some of us still don’t have copies of this song, so here goes.

Consumer Wonderland

(tune of: Winter Wonderland) (words by Erica Avery)

The TV’s on / are you watching?

Another product / that they’re hawking

one more thing you need

to make life complete

Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

In the stores / you will hear it

“Pricey gifts / show Christmas spirit”

That’s what they call it

to get to your wallet

Welcome to Consumer Wonderland

At the mall we can go out shopping

and buy lots of stuff we can’t afford

we’ll have lots of fun with all our new toys

until we realize that we’re still bored

When you shop / ain’t it thrilling

Un—til / you get the billing

the money you still owe/ the stuff broke long ago

Welcome to Consumer Wonderland.

No Comments | In: Songs | tags: consumerism, corporate greed, economic justice, economy, holiday songs, local living economies. | #