Song picture
Heroes of the Cold War
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social commentary, environmental
acoustic folk social commentary political satire western massachusetts oil coal climate change fracking incineration music for social change nuclear energy
Artist picture
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
Charts
Peak #48
Peak in subgenre #8
Author
Tom Neilson
Rights
Tom Neilson
Uploaded
December 31, 2010
Track Files
MP3
MP3 3.2 MB 128 kbps 3:30
Story behind the song
Workers at the nuclear weapons facility in Paducah, KY have been dying of cancer for many years. Joe Harding was exhumed by his wife and his body was discovered to be laced with uranium. Bill Clinton sent Bill Richardson to Paducah to give the dead and the dying an award. They were called "Heroes Of the Cold War." I am told that Richardson gave Mrs. Harding a plaque and that she gave it back to him.
Lyrics
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground. Exhumed his bones and uranium found. Paducah, KY’s nuke factory Radioactive in the cemetery. 18 years of uranium dust caked on his skin On his teeth formed a crust. Cancer in his stomach, perforated his lungs All of the workers are dying too young. He spoke to the bosses of uranium air The Feds denied any poisons were there Union Carbide, Lockheed-Martin agree That it’s safe to make nuclear WMDs. They dug Joe Harding out of the ground. Exhumed his bones and uranium found. Paducah, KY’s nuke factory Radioactive in the cemetery. Their bodies were sick with plutonium grams The Feds said was from eating that Kentucky ham. Fernald, Ohio, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, All getting sick on ham from Kentucky. They dug Joe Harding out of the ground. Exhumed his bones and uranium found. Paducah, KY’s nuke factory Radioactive in the cemetery. Bill Richardson came to honor the dead. To Paducah, KY, Mr. Energy said To the dead and the dying he gave an award. Called ‘em Heroes Of The Cold War. They dug Joe Harding out of the ground Exhumed his bones and uranium found Not Kentucky ham that was deep in his core. He’s a hero of the cold war. They dug Joe Harding out of the ground. Exhumed his bones and uranium found. Paducah, KY’s nuke factory Radioactive in the cemetery.
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