To listen to Civvy Street, click here
I came home from the war last year
and they gave me two new legs
And
a card that named me Veteran,
and a place where I could beg
Employers
turned me down
because I’m mentally unstable
Either
that or I am simply
physically unable
What
kind of a country's this
that it’s even worth defending?
The
drugs, the fats, the vice,
the crime that’s simply never-ending
My
home is in a doorway
made of reinforced concrete
It’s
more brutal than the war
down here on Civvy Street
We’re
patriots they tell us,
the folks on the TV
the folks on the TV
Heroes
and defenders
of our glorious liberty
of our glorious liberty
The
richest country in a world
where most folks live in need
where most folks live in need
And
we’ve nothing much to spend it on
we’re just nourishing our greed
we’re just nourishing our greed
They’re
budgeting in Congress,
they want to sign up more
they want to sign up more
Future
heroes in a future
save-the-country war
save-the-country war
But
save-the-country why, for what,
I don’t mean to sound downbeat
I don’t mean to sound downbeat
But
it’s empty as the grave
back home on Civvy Street
back home on Civvy Street
All
the boys are bored and drunk,
watching football in the pubs
watching football in the pubs
The girls look like streetwalkers
as they’re heading for the clubs
as they’re heading for the clubs
But
they’re not the real sirens
those are played by the police
those are played by the police
Some
homeless man’s been murdered
or some tourist is deceased
or some tourist is deceased
Some
thug just beat his woman,
some kid just got seduced
some kid just got seduced
Some
businessmen got busted
for the poison they produce
for the poison they produce
Some
guy just closed his Ponzi scheme
cause there’s no one left to cheat
cause there’s no one left to cheat
And
it’s hot as the Inferno
down here on Civvy Street
down here on Civvy Street
So
I’m back home fighting this new war
against mediocrity
against mediocrity
The
only war that’s left to fight
for a trained soldier like me
for a trained soldier like me
In
a land where no one really thinks,
how is this democracy?
how is this democracy?
Where
people want entitlement
without responsibility
without responsibility
And
they preach their worthless values
and name it Christianity
and name it Christianity
Junk
films, junk food, junk attitudes,
they call it liberty
they call it liberty
But
liberty and freedom
are two words that never meet
are two words that never meet
You’ll
find life in all its glory
down here on Civvy Street
down here on Civvy Street
My
three best friends were blown up
by a bomb Thanksgiving night
by a bomb Thanksgiving night
I
still wake up at 3am
with nightmares from the sight
with nightmares from the sight
My
comrades are in line again,
but it’s now the jobless queues
but it’s now the jobless queues
And
no one gets insurance
when their body’s made of screws
when their body’s made of screws
The
pride of the battalion,
the joy of comradeship
the joy of comradeship
It
all comes down to buying beers
somewhere on Sunset Strip
somewhere on Sunset Strip
I
fought to save my country
but was it worthier than defeat?
but was it worthier than defeat?
And
it’s noisy as a battlefield,
back here on Civvy Street
back here on Civvy Street
The
quality of life
is not about material things
is not about material things
It’s
about the way that folks behave,
not fancy clothes and rings
not fancy clothes and rings
Not
suing just to find a way
to put food on the table
to put food on the table
When
half the world is naked
who needs designer labels?
who needs designer labels?
The
pumping of adrenaline
when the ceasefire brings false calm
when the ceasefire brings false calm
Is
now just pumping something
in the frontline of your arm
in the frontline of your arm
A
hero now on heroine,
ain’t that kinda sweet?
ain’t that kinda sweet?
And
the whole world has gone AWOL,
down here on Civvy Street
down here on Civvy Street
I’m
not angry that I went to fight,
I’m simply disappointed
I’m simply disappointed
The
cause we fought was good and right
but something got disjointed
but something got disjointed
We
have so much potential,
but we leave it unfulfilled
but we leave it unfulfilled
We
can achieve almost anything,
if we only had the will
if we only had the will
We
have the means to feed the world,
to bring Mankind to peace
to bring Mankind to peace
But
we’d rather sit at home
with pizza and TV
with pizza and TV
I
miss the smell of napalm,
it beats the smell of weed
it beats the smell of weed
And
it’s rancid as a slaughter-house,
down here on Civvy Street
down here on Civvy Street
You can find David Prashker at:
If
you would like to include "On Civvy Street" in your repertoire,
either for paid public performance or to record for commercial
purposes, or if you would like to re-use the recordings attached to this
blog-page for commercial purposes, contact
argaman@theargamanpress.com.
Use of this song, and/or these recordings, for
non-commercial purposes, is not simply permitted but invited.
Words and music by David Prashker
Copyright © 2014 David Prashker
All rights reserved
The Argaman Press
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