A song against the oppresive policies and actions of the eight captitalist superpowers of the world, and a call to resist the power of nation states with the power of grassroots self-organization and mutual aid!

» highest in charts:   # 1186   (127,530 songs currently listed in Acoustic)
» highest in sub-genre:   # 98   (10,380 songs currently listed in Acoustic > Folk)

When the elites of the G8 (the "Group of Eight" most indusrialized nation in the world) gathered in Genoa, Italy in 2001, hundreds of thousands met them in the streets to demand an end to the economic warfare known as "neoliberal gloablization." Proclaiming the power of the global majorities to reclaim our lives, our land and our communities fro the few that rule the corporate empire, one bold banner declared, "We are six billion and you are only eight!"

For more on these global movements, check out http://www.weareeverywhere.org

Only Eight
(Ethan Miller)

They build a fortress around every meeting,
And it’s guarded by soldiers and cops
So they can make all their plans and negotiations
About how they're gonna stay at the top
And when they're done
They'll release a few statements
About how their charity will feed the whole world
When all they really did was solidify their strategies
To ravage us with exploitation and war

How can we be silent with so much at stake?
Your rules were just made for the people to break
You may try to dictate the entire world's fate
But we are six billion and you are only eight

You say liberalized trade, yeah it's been done before
So that they can all profit off the blood of the poor
You say, “let market forces do their fine job”
So you won't take the blame
For the millions you’ve robbed
G8, IMF, WTO
FTAA, NAFTA, World Bank, NGO
Clothe it in acronyms, dress it up fine
It still ain't no more than the world’s greatest crime

(Chorus)

The health of our children, the wealth of our work
Our languages, cultures, all life on this earth
So far from the walls behind which you scheme
To take us and break us and remake our dreams
While you build a world out of money and greed
With your states and your armies and big companies
We'll water the seeds of rebellion and grow
Strong with the weeds that erupt from below

(Chorus)