It could have been me, but instead it was you
so i'll keep doing the work you were doing as if i were two
i'll be a student of life, a singer of songs
a farmer of food and a righter of wrong
it could have been me, but instead it was you
and it may be me dear sisters and brother
before we are through
but if you can work for freedom
freedom, freedom, freedom
if you can work (live, die, sing) for freedom i can too
Students in ohio at kent and jackson state
shot down by a nameless ( or vicious) fire one early day in may
some people cried out angry you should have shot more of them down
but you can't bury youth my friend
youth grows the whole world round
If you can die for freedom i can too
The junta broke the fingers on victor jara's hands
they said to the gentle poet "play your guitar now if you can"
victor started singing but they brought his body down
you can kill that man but not his song
when it's sung the whole world round
If you can sing for freedom i can too
A woman in the jungle so many wars away
studies late into the night, defends the village in the day
although her skin is golden like mine will never be
her song is heard and i know the words
and i'll sing them until she's free
If you can live for freedom i can too
so i'll keep doing the work you were doing as if i were two
i'll be a student of life, a singer of songs
a farmer of food and a righter of wrong
it could have been me, but instead it was you
and it may be me dear sisters and brother
before we are through
but if you can work for freedom
freedom, freedom, freedom
if you can work (live, die, sing) for freedom i can too
Students in ohio at kent and jackson state
shot down by a nameless ( or vicious) fire one early day in may
some people cried out angry you should have shot more of them down
but you can't bury youth my friend
youth grows the whole world round
If you can die for freedom i can too
The junta broke the fingers on victor jara's hands
they said to the gentle poet "play your guitar now if you can"
victor started singing but they brought his body down
you can kill that man but not his song
when it's sung the whole world round
If you can sing for freedom i can too
A woman in the jungle so many wars away
studies late into the night, defends the village in the day
although her skin is golden like mine will never be
her song is heard and i know the words
and i'll sing them until she's free
If you can live for freedom i can too
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