Songs for Gaza

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 Cry for the children of Gaza

The blue skies rain terror on you

There is no refuge, nowhere to run to

Your parents slaughtered, right there beside you

Cry for the mothers of Gaza

We hope you’ll someday forgive us

for our tax dollars sending the missiles

that kill your children and burn your cities

Cry for the fathers of Gaza,

defending your ancient homelands

Your homes demolished, your children starving

And still you struggle to keep your birthright

One day the world will awaken

and call for your liberation

Justice for those who gain from your suffering

You’ll live and flourish in your free nation!

Palestine, will you ever breathe easy?

You’ve been hammered, beaten down from all sides

You’ve been displaced, driven out of your homelands

The world feels your pain and we hear your cries

Palestine, you’re God’s children like we are

All God’s children, Christians Muslims and Jews

We all deserve  peace and freedom and safety

That’s why we demand the same for you

Our government has the power to save you: 

simply stop the flow of the weapons of war

We’re working here, to get Congress to wake up

and call for the peace the world’s calling for   

One of these mornings you’re gonna gain your freedom

You’re gonna fly your flag proud and high in the breeze

But ’til that morning, please don’t ever stop hoping

’cause we won’t give up until you are free

When I think of Gaza’s plight

the children haunt me day and night

All the children who are crying

All the children who are dying

And the things they’ve seen that

no one should have to bear

happening there

They cry until . . . they’re silent

Children should be having fun

They should be free to play and run

Wholesome food and good, clean water

safety for their moms and fathers

They should not be exposed 

to this violence and gore

inhuman war   

The roar of bombs . . . then silence

How can lawmakers ignore

all the horrors of this war?

Close their ears to children crying

Close their eyes to people dying

We’ve got to break through 

their cold-hearted apathy

and make them see

No, we will not be silent

Listen with heart, you’ll hear their voices calling

from Palestine where terror reigns supreme

voices of sorrow, grief and desperation

They call to us: to our humanity

So raise your voice to protest inhumanity!

And raise your voice for thousands who’ve been slain

Together we must change the course of history

Keep singing loud and proud ’til freedom is attained

We sing for children – orphaned, scared and hungry

We sing for women – struggling to be free

We sing for men – just trying to save their families

Yes, these are human beings like you and me

We raise our voice with power for the powerless!

We call for peace, from river to the sea

Together we will honor every human life

Keep singing loud and proud ’til Palestine is free

Don’t call us anti-Semites when we stand for life

We’re anti-killing; we’re not anti-Jew

Don’t claim it’s self-defense when it is genocide

Don’t try to silence us for speaking truth   

We’ll raise our voice for freedom and for liberty

You’ll never quiet us! – so hear our prayer

Together we demand that Palestine be free

We’ll keep on singing ’til you end this reign of terror!

Well, come on, look at the stuff we send

to Israel — again and again:

bunker busters and Hellfire missiles,

ammo & guns, all kinds of munitions,

tens of thousands of massive bombs

to perpetrate a pogrom

And it’s one, two, three, 

why do we back that war?

Don’t ask me – I don’t really know

But someone’s making dough

And it’s five, six, seven,

how do we appropriate?

Oh, the profiteers, they always win

Whoopee! do they rake it in!

Now Lockheed Martin has jets to sell

And shares are up at Honeywell

Bechtel, Raytheon, Northrup Grumman

all want to keep their factories hummin’

And Colt is pumping out M-16's

for IDF killing machines

And it’s one, two, three, 

why do we back that war?

Don’t ask me – I don’t really know

But someone’s making dough

And it’s five, six, seven,

how do we appropriate?

Oh, the profiteers, they always win

Whoopee! do they rake it in!

The weapons makers they salivate 

for the federal bucks that wait

How they love to see missiles rain

as they’re watching share prices gain

Put the burden on the backs

of the citizens with a tax!