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Do You Hear the People Scream?

Ralph E. Shaffer
Language: English




Ralph E. Shaffer


I believe it is the most powerful anti-war song in recent years - written as a parody of one of the most militant pro-war songs ever, "Do you hear the people sing?" from Les Miz.

But I can't find an anti-war chorus or soloist to sing it. Can you help?

The parody matches the original syllable for syllable, note for note. Sing It! I wrote it as the US began sending money and military aid, and then began bombing, during the Syrian Civil War.

Ralph E. Shaffer
Do you hear the people scream?
That is the sound of dying men,
Women and children being slaughtered
Here in freedom's name again.
When the beating of a heart
Stops with a greeting from your guns
That is a life that will depart
'ere tomorrow comes.

Will you stop this mad crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Why die on barricades
For a world that cannot be?
Why join in a fight
That puts people to flight
They're not free!

Do you hear the people scream?
That is the sound of dying men,
Women and children being slaughtered
Here in freedom's name again.
When the bleating from the right
Echoes the tweeting from the left
There's sure to be a bloody fight
'ere tomorrow comes.

When you've given all you can
You'll be buried in a plot.
Politicians to a man
Will spit out patriotic rot.
But the graves of the fallen
Will be a cold warning to all.

Do you hear the people scream?
That is the sound of dying men,
Women and children being slaughtered
Here in freedom's name again.
When the beating of a heart
Stops with a greeting from your guns
That is a life that will depart

Contributed by Ralph Shaffer - 2022/1/9 - 16:26




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