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Six Cents a Pound
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The US paid $500 million for war planes for Afghanistan that didn't function properly so they destroyed them and sold the scrap metal for six cents a pound.
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 #52
Peak in subgenre #4
Author
tom neilson
Rights
Tom Neilson
Uploaded
October 24, 2015
Track Files
MP3
MP3 4.8 MB 160 kbps 4:14
Story behind the song
The US paid $500 million for war planes for Afghanistan that didn't function properly so they destroyed them and sold the scrap metal for six cents a pound.
Lyrics
500 million dollars, you paid for 20 planes For the Afghan Air Force in 20-08 to support the Kabul reign They were transport planes G222s, but none of them seemed to fly Too many performance and maintenance problems To keep them up in the sky. So they sat on the tarmac in Kabul, 20 planes just hanging around Till the US army destroyed them & sold the scrap metal at 6 cents a pound. 6 cents a pound, 6 cents a pound, For G222s just hanging around What could we have bought with 500 million in hand ‘Stead of buying scrap metal for Afghanistan. But war is good business; it’s win-win you see For the weapons, & gas & oil industry; We can only make weapons if you foot the bill We can only have war if you vote to kill. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to complain I’d rather scrap metal than a war aeroplane But I’d rather scrap metal build me a bridge Or a school or a home where someone could live. 6 cents a pound… Well 500 million is just a grain of sand. Cause it’s 45 billion that’s out on the lamm; Of money for weapons gone from the till Well I’d rather scrap metal than weapons that kill. Now here at home, we got a lemon law You get your money back if you find a flaw War industry got to stand behind what it made Cause at 6 cents a pound, that’s a lot of lemonade. 6 cents a pound… When you buy an airplane, you should get a warranty That it’ll fly in the air and not fall on me. But when all is said and done, it is fine by me At 6 cents a pound - scrap the military. 6 cents a pound..
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