Song picture
John Kiriakou
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An account of John Kiriakou's whistle-blowing on torture by the US Government.
acoustic folk social commentary political satire western massachusetts oil coal climate change fracking incineration music for social change nuclear energy
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 #70
Peak in subgenre #14
Author
Tom Neilson
Rights
Tom Neilson 2013
Uploaded
August 31, 2013
Track Files
MP3
MP3 2.9 MB 160 kbps 2:30
Story behind the song
A 14-year veteran of the CIA, Kiriakou witnessed torture during the Bush and Obama administrations. When in good conscience he blew the whistle to report what he felt to be a crime, he was tried, convicted and sent to prison.
Lyrics
John Kiriakou you caused a commotion. You were a pain in the ass. You blew the whistle, made Obama bristle, you offended the brass. Brennan & Bush, Cheney & Rummy, Bolton, Petraeus, the crew Water or fire, remove their attire, it’s what they pay us to do. Byrzynski, Obama, Clinton & Kerry, Holder, Panetta agree Interrogation is best when the nation can ignore illegality. Egypt, Bahrain, we’ll put on a plane rendition extraordinary Just a wee bit of pain, drive you insane, a condition of morality John Kiriakou, what happened to you? You could have played on our team. Did you think it inhuman when we sent the goon in to make the prisoner scream? You created a clamor, now you’re in the slammer while we are all out on the lamm. You lost a good job working for the mob being a company man. Now Bradley Manning, he made the mistake, like you of spilling the beans That’s not how we do it. We always say screw it. Torturing is our routine. Water or fire, remove their attire, freezing ‘em in their cell Sleep deprivation, it’s good for the nation, dogs in their crotch, as well. John Kiriakou, locked away from your children, we set our sights on you. We make the rules. You’re just one of the fools who thinks they can change what we do.
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