Name: Free
Duration: 1 min 35 s
Channel: David Rovics
Description: "Free" is a song by David Rovics. I originally wrote this as a song but realized it works better as a poem. It's for Jeffrey Luers, and all the other good people who have had to suffer outrageously long prison sentences for politically-motivated property destruction (otherwise known

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I originally wrote this as a song but realized it works better as a poem. It's for Jeffrey Luers, and all the other good people who have had to suffer outrageously long prison sentences for politically-motivated property destruction (otherwise known

politics marijuana cannabis antiwar political iraq media social struggle israel cuba pirates environment labor afghanistan empire imperialism capitalism terrorism activism bullying bullies ecoterrorism guerrilla gardening irish hunger strike oil leaks oil spills social change

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David Rovics

"If the great Phil Ochs were to rise from the dead today, he would probably be hailed as the new David Rovics." Andy Kershaw, BBC

Song Info

Genre

Acoustic • Acoustic Folk

Charts

Peak #171

Peak in subgenre #20

Author

David Rovics

Rights

Uploaded

September 18, 2009

Track Files

MP3

MP3 3.7 MB • 320 kbps • 1:35

Story behind the song

I originally wrote this as a song but realized it works better as a poem.
It's for Jeffrey Luers, and all the other good people who have had to suffer
outrageously long prison sentences for politically-motivated property
destruction (otherwise known as "eco-terrorism").

Lyrics

I grew up in the land of houses in rows
I had asthma, that's how it goes
When you're in LA and there are cars everywhere
See the sky and smell the air
 
I left home, looked around
Trying to find some solid ground
I found life in the northern wood
And I knew that this was good
 
I saw the dozers, the death machines
Tearing apart everything green
I built a platform, sat in a tree
Said if you're taking her down, then you're taking down me
 
I saw the highways, I saw the mall
I saw the eagle, heard the clarion call
Voices of reason were talking to me
So I burned down a couple of SUV's
 
Among the words and the deeds in the war for the west
A chapter was written and I was the test
To shut us all up and drive us apart
All who have life and love in our hearts
 
The judge did the math then he did some more
He was a man out to settle a score
An illegal sentence in a stolen land
With life or death in the palm of his hand

And now here I am, so long behind bars
For trying to breath in a nation of cars
Sanity jailed and madness in power
Our time it is short and now is the hour
 
So may you hide in the darkness and stay safe in the night
Find whatever you need to stay in the fight
There's a planet at stake and that's all that I see
And my thoughts will be with you until I am free

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