Name: War Is A Racket
Channel: Tom Neilson
Description: Inspired by Smedley Butler's 1934 book by the same name; Wylie Robbins Thorne-Thomsen - mandolin

War Is A Racket

Tom Neilson

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Inspired by Smedley Butler's 1934 book by the same name; Wylie Robbins Thorne-Thomsen - mandolin

antiwar smedley butler

Tom Neilson

Folk singer, social commentary, satire, people's stories, children's music

Hi Folks, The Bard Insurgent here. My comrade D.O. (the Poet Roofer) and I got that handle (The Bard Insurgents) from traveling town to town performing songs and poetry about people's lives. I've been performing since I was 3 years old, cutting my vocal chords on liturgical and classical music. I was a concert soloist as a child, when I wasn't herding cows, throwing hay and shoveling manure. During the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam war, I began writing songs about social change. I left the country in 1970 and my dozen years in other countries, mostly in Africa & South America, have provided a global perspective to my music. My travels helped me realize that people all around the world are essentially the same in their basic life needs and their desires to live peacefully in their communities. These experiences have informed my commitment to working for international understanding as I organize at home. A powerful way to educate and inspire is with music. I tell people's stories, do social commentary with a touch of satire that I hope you enjoy and share with your friends, as well as sing together in the streets and in your living rooms. I also have children's music written for the children in my life with Jacob and Kayla as primary muses. Looking forward to seeing you on the road, Tom

Song Info

Genre

Acoustic • Acoustic Folk

Charts

Peak #26

Peak in subgenre #2

Author

Tom Neilson

Rights

Tom Neilson 2021

Uploaded

August 04, 2021

Track Files

MP3

MP3 5.7 MB • 320 kbps • 2:30

Story behind the song

General Smedley Butler is the most decorated US soldier. He described himself as "a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914."

Lyrics

We start with a country, a country, a country
With lithium, bananas, oil or gold
Then send in the army, marines, mercenaries
The navy and air force till we overthrow.

And who does the killing, the killing, the killing
A soldier, a sailor with gun in their hand
They follow orders and say they are willing
To destroy a people and place that they don't understand.

They come from the farms and the factories, offices
Classrooms and trades to fill in the ranks.
They come back broken in mind and their bodies
Used up by the weapons' dealers and banks.

And who gets the profits, the profits, the profits  
Of 100, 1000, 2000 percent
It comes from the pockets, the pockets, the pockets
Of people you think would be recalcitrant. 

It goes to the makers of abominations
A mathematical manipulation
A simple corporate war calculation
Out of your paycheck, they call it taxation

You pay for the wheeling and dealing and stealing
You pay for the bullets and bombs and the tanks
Napalm and nukes and lobbyists sell it
Did GE and Westinghouse ever say thanks?

War is a racket and who does the killing
With missiles and mortars; grenades and guns?
They come back broken in mind and their bodies
Used up by the Raytheon politicians

Comments 2

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jeanneserrano

Mar 16, 2023

A continuous loop of other fantastic songs but how does one get the lyrics up for each one and how to share w/my fb thread (as the terms read are intimidating) but necessary as I do 'get it' ...

jeanneserrano

Mar 16, 2023

EXCELLENT - AND EVEN THAT WORD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!