Song picture
#85- Winds of Change (1986)-archival tape
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An angry political song that needs some rewriting. Dedicated to Victor Jara of Chile. About right wing governments who hide behind the word 'freedom.'
folk funny political sixties novelty gentle prolific idiosyncratic lehrer jefferson airplane ochs paxton steve goodman
Artist picture
Tom Paxton meets Jefferson Airplane. Extremely prolific singer songwriter with a wide range of styles from bizarre novelty tunes and surrealistic poetic songs t
With more than 300 songs and counting and for more than 30 years, I have written in a variety of acoustic styles from novelty tunes to love songs to historical ballads to poetic surrealistic songs to retro-acoustic pop. From bizarre to traditional from funny to poignant, whatever style the song is in, the melodies are usually memorable and the lyrics unpredictable. This site will eventually contain rough often first take demos of my entire song catalogue. Many of the earliest songs when I first started writing will of course be shaky. So expect the songs to get better as time goes on. Feel free to come back and browse often as I will constantly be adding songs, one by one in chronological order, starting in 1974. If you are looking for some unusual songs to cover from a little known but unique artist, you have come to the right place. Just e-mail me. If you find a song here that intrigues you, but you don't like a line or two, or you think it needs a bridge, drop me an e-mail and maybe you can earn writer's credit if it gets that song to be recorded or performed.... otherwise just enjoy. You can become a Rob Lincoln fan at no cost to you. I promise that if you keep coming back there will be some real surprises along the way. While mostly acoustic, some original material will veer into folk rock and even 60's pop, but the garage rock and loudest material will also be found in full band arrangement at soundclick.com/abrasiveflowers Eventually some of these 300+ tunes may be rerecorded and make it on to CD, including a novelty CD that would be suitable for Dr. Demento or an historical ballad CD or a political song CD--but until then, this is the only site you can hear most of these songs. (A few of my songs CAN be found on songramp.com/RobLincoln and myspace.com/lessickandlincoln)
Song Info
Charts
Peak #425
Peak in subgenre #63
Author
Rob Lincoln
Rights
1986
Uploaded
September 02, 2007
Track Files
MP3
MP3 2.8 MB 128 kbps 3:02
Story behind the song
Winds of Change is one of my angriest political songs without any humor at all. I now find that is not the most artistic way of approaching song writing but it can sometimes work. Whether it works here, you be the judge. The song also has at least two lines that can use replacing. I've put them in parentheses in the lyrics page. If you have better lines, please by all means send them along. While the political references are old, the same old stuff is still going on. I'm posting an old recording from around the time I wrote the song. L&L did some nice harmonies on this one when we first started out in 1989. This is a scratchy solo tape from 1986. I always thought I wanted to do a flamenco version of this, but I have lost interest. I also don't like that the song appears to conclude that violence is the answer. Mp3 listeners rated this a 3.1 out of 5: Everyone interestingly gave it a straight 3 except one 3.5... Comments included: "I give it a 3. I don't see it condoning violence as a response to violence." "I kinda like this one"
Lyrics
You have many names You have many styles You have many weapons Soldiers, armies of great size You have all the money In the hands of the very few You control the people But it's fear that controls you You hide behind the media With your free world alibi You kill the men and women You make the children cry Cowards you are Kill poets, teachers- then lie Shoot to kill the winds of change Shoot into the sky We've seen you murder Biko We've seen you in El Salvadore You've murdered Victor Jara And tens of thousands more You have the brains to pull a trigger Your mind's a muscle clenched in fear For you must use a bullet To fight a new idea Cowards you are Kill poets, teachers- then lie Shoot to kill the winds of change Shoot into the sky You who fear the written word You who fear a song You who kill the unarmed (You know that you are wrong Pretty soon the bullets Will be on the other side) And you'll long for the songs of justice You silenced in your prime Cowards you are Kill poets, teachers then lie Shoot to kill the winds of change Shoot into the sky Shoot to kill the winds of change Shoot into the sky
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