You can say that it's about the savages
You can say you have a better way to live
You can call it Manifest Destiny
You can talk of all your civilization will give
You can say that we're a thing of history
And progress is the future you will bring
You can send your armies to these mountains
You can say we'll prosper beneath your king
(Chorus)
But there will always be resistance
The next battle will always be near
As long as you have everything
There will be those who have nothing to fear
And little by little, or maybe all at once you will lose
Because our future is not yours to choose
You can say that you've got to stop the communists
You can say that our ideals can't succeed
You can say that competition is the only way
And a global system based on greed
And you can call yourself a democrat
You can call yourself whatever you will
And you can keep on stamping out the fires you start
So you might stay on top of the hill
(Chorus)
You can say that all of us are traitors
Because we oppose your wars of conquest
And your scheming corporations
And all the crimes that they have not confessed
You can say that we are not patriots
Because our nation is not your empire
Because we refuse to stand idly by
As our cities are rising up in fire
(Chorus)
And you can say that all of us are terrorists
Madmen bent on destroying all that's free
You can say that we are building weapons
As your bombers fly from sea to bloody sea
You can say you're with us or against us
And to die quietly is what we now must do
You can maintain your innocence
You can say that you are many, as you represent the few
(Chorus)
You can say you have a better way to live
You can call it Manifest Destiny
You can talk of all your civilization will give
You can say that we're a thing of history
And progress is the future you will bring
You can send your armies to these mountains
You can say we'll prosper beneath your king
(Chorus)
But there will always be resistance
The next battle will always be near
As long as you have everything
There will be those who have nothing to fear
And little by little, or maybe all at once you will lose
Because our future is not yours to choose
You can say that you've got to stop the communists
You can say that our ideals can't succeed
You can say that competition is the only way
And a global system based on greed
And you can call yourself a democrat
You can call yourself whatever you will
And you can keep on stamping out the fires you start
So you might stay on top of the hill
(Chorus)
You can say that all of us are traitors
Because we oppose your wars of conquest
And your scheming corporations
And all the crimes that they have not confessed
You can say that we are not patriots
Because our nation is not your empire
Because we refuse to stand idly by
As our cities are rising up in fire
(Chorus)
And you can say that all of us are terrorists
Madmen bent on destroying all that's free
You can say that we are building weapons
As your bombers fly from sea to bloody sea
You can say you're with us or against us
And to die quietly is what we now must do
You can maintain your innocence
You can say that you are many, as you represent the few
(Chorus)
Contributed by Riccardo Venturi - 2006/8/6 - 13:27
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Lyrics and music by David Rovics
Testo e musica di David Rovics
Da/From "Return"
David Rovics' Official Website
"The name of the enemy always changes, but the war between the haves and the have-nots continues to rage, as it has for the past several thousand years, as it will until there’s sanity in the world, or until there is no more world." -David Rovics.