The Folk Song Army

One type of song that has

Come into increasing prominence

In recent months

Is the folk song of protest

You have to admire people who sing these songs

It takes a certain amount of courage

To get up in a coffee house

Or a college auditorium

And come out in favor

Of the things that everybody else

In the audience is against

Like peace and justice and brotherhood

And so on

But the nicest thing about a protest song

Is that it makes you feel so good

I have a song here

Which I realize should be accompanied

On a folk instrument

In which category the piano does not, alas, qualify

So imagine, if you will, that I am playing

And eighty-eight-string guitar

We are the Folk Song Army

Every one of us cares

We all hate poverty, war and injustice

Unlike the rest of you squares

There are innocuous folk songs

Yeah, but we regard 'em with scorn

The folks who sing 'em have no social conscience

Why, they don't even care if Jimmy Crack Corn

If you feel dissatisfaction

Strum your frustrations away

Some people may prefer action

But gimme a folk song any old day

The tune don't have to be clever

And it don't matter if you put a couple extra syllables into a line

It sounds more ethnic if it ain't good English

And it don't a-even gotta rhyme

Excuse me, "rhyne"

Remember the war against Franco

That's the kind where each of us belongs

Though he may have won all the battles

We had all the good songs

So join in the Folk Song Army

Guitars are the weapons we bring

To the fight against poverty, war and injustice

Ready! Aim! Sing!