Terry Whitmore went off to war
He saw the nightmares that so many seen before
He saw all the facts distorted
Rapes and murders unreported
Bombed out villages, mass graves, and more.
But he stuck it out - tried to play it cool
Awoke each morning trying to make it through
Just take it day by day
And try to kill the enemy
'cause if you don't he or she might be killing you.
Terry Whitmore was a Marine
A hardened, angry well-oiled machine
Ready on command
To tighten up his hand
And send a thousand rounds flying through the trees.
He walked the trails, each step with care
In case the landmines start exploding everywhere
As mangled bodies pile up
A Marine don't seem so tough
'cause those romantic myths of war all disappear
Terry Whitmore, he got it bad
Countless shards of metal sticking in his leg
They were under open skies
When they were taken by surprise
And mortar landed a couple feet away
He was taken to Japan
Got a medal from LBJ's own hand
He was hurt but he was strong
'cause he was finally going home
But when he could walk they tried to send him back again.
Terry Whitmore, he finally fled
He met some anti-war activists in Japan
And they helped him flee
Got him a ticket for free
On the Underground Railroad Heading West
So there he was, dressed in disguise
Deserting with 6 other guys
He said: "Fuck you, Uncle Sam
I got my freedom back again
You can keep your war and all your racist lies"
"I was fighting the Vietcong
While back in Memphis cops was chasing us with dogs
Did I really do that shit?
I let this government pushed me into it"
Terry Whitmore's fight was not in Vietnam
Terry Whitmore, he was just one
Of the soldiers who did what had to be done
In breaking with the lies
He saved countless lives
'cause when he walked away he helped end Vietnam
when he walked away he helped end Vietnam.
He saw the nightmares that so many seen before
He saw all the facts distorted
Rapes and murders unreported
Bombed out villages, mass graves, and more.
But he stuck it out - tried to play it cool
Awoke each morning trying to make it through
Just take it day by day
And try to kill the enemy
'cause if you don't he or she might be killing you.
Terry Whitmore was a Marine
A hardened, angry well-oiled machine
Ready on command
To tighten up his hand
And send a thousand rounds flying through the trees.
He walked the trails, each step with care
In case the landmines start exploding everywhere
As mangled bodies pile up
A Marine don't seem so tough
'cause those romantic myths of war all disappear
Terry Whitmore, he got it bad
Countless shards of metal sticking in his leg
They were under open skies
When they were taken by surprise
And mortar landed a couple feet away
He was taken to Japan
Got a medal from LBJ's own hand
He was hurt but he was strong
'cause he was finally going home
But when he could walk they tried to send him back again.
Terry Whitmore, he finally fled
He met some anti-war activists in Japan
And they helped him flee
Got him a ticket for free
On the Underground Railroad Heading West
So there he was, dressed in disguise
Deserting with 6 other guys
He said: "Fuck you, Uncle Sam
I got my freedom back again
You can keep your war and all your racist lies"
"I was fighting the Vietcong
While back in Memphis cops was chasing us with dogs
Did I really do that shit?
I let this government pushed me into it"
Terry Whitmore's fight was not in Vietnam
Terry Whitmore, he was just one
Of the soldiers who did what had to be done
In breaking with the lies
He saved countless lives
'cause when he walked away he helped end Vietnam
when he walked away he helped end Vietnam.
inviata da giorgio - 31/1/2010 - 08:37
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Album: Soldier by soldier
Inspired and based-on Terry Whitmore's book "Memphis-Nam-Sweden". Terry Whitmore was a black GI who deserted the Vietnam War after being injured in a fire-fight. He denounced the American government strongly afterwards for it's racism and arrogance to invade a country to "liberate" it while blacks and others in the U.S. were being oppressed and murdered. He became a symbol in Europe of the American GI anti-war movement and the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who followed a similar path during what the Vietnamese call the "American War".