Paula Friedman is an author, editor, publicist, longtime antiwar and social justice activist, and most recently songwriter, living in Richmond, California.

Banks of the Nuclear Folks

I asked my country/ to go to war
just a little war, just a little war,
a few little days, or a week or two more,
down where the great Euphrates roars.

I told my nation/ it won't take long,
'twill make us safe, 'twill make us strong,
a few thousand lives, few million more,
'way over yonder on the desert floor.

So, patriots brave/ now have no fear
for a burnin' bush will guide you there,
don't sweat lost rights, or a million lost dreams,
cause we'll plant our flag by Euphrates' gleams.

I warned, if we don't/ hey they may first,
drop a nuclear bomb, loose a nuclear burst,
and we cain't know who, or who may fight back,
so let's bomb 'em all–hey, secure at last!

Yeh, I told you, world/ that we'd the proof
there were rogue dictators on the loose,
who hated you for your liberties–
gee I'm sorry you're dead, but the Top Rogue's me.

The waving of the flags

The waving of the flags,
the waving of the flags,
they say they're scared and mourning
with the waving of the flags

The waving of the flags,
the waving of the flags,
they say they'll bomb for freedom
for the waving of the flags

The dropping of the bombs,
the dropping of the bombs,
they say they are protecting
through the dropping of the bombs

The killing of the child,
the killing of the child,
they say they are avenging
by the killing of this child.

No more waving of the flags
no more killing under flags
no us no them, just mourning
for the dead beyond all flags.

Song of blackbirds

The airplanes came down
    like black birds on the wing,
took out so many
    whose lives longed to sing,
Oh, it makes us so angry,
    our souls are so sad,
for the bad guys who did it
    all got away dead,
Yes, it makes our hearts heavy,
    our bowels roil in fear,
for they're dead who have brought home
    death's fear to us here.
So, we have to do something,
    wherever we can,
for those lost lives were sacred,
    each woman and man,
Yes, our hearts beat so heavy
    ever since it began,
we gotta bomb someone
    in. . .what's. . .the. . .next. . .land?

Glory, Glory, Gonna Stew ya

We are trampling on the Bill of Rights
to make our nation free,
We are readying to nuke you,
wherever you may be,
We are striking to pre-empt you
and your national-sovereignty,
so we'll dominate uber all!

We are calling it security
for oil that makes men free,
We are sayin' it's for freedom
we'll blow you to kingdom come,
and we'll glory glory glory
you to world catastrophe,
for we'll hunker in our bunkers through Earth's death!

Song of where-was-zat-istan

There's terrorism rife tonight–
we gotta get our man!
Bin Laden, Hussein, Mr. Arafat–Bush?--
Hell, let's bomb Iraq and Iran!

3,000 people died that day,
roasted and sizzled and smashed,
horrors too horrid to think of,
so we bombed back ol' Afghanistan.

Collateral damage? One gets some--
that's why we call it war--
our fear and our sorrow's so heavy,
we gotta wipe out more.

There's evildoers everywhere
out to get us, you and me,
so let's kill and lock up everyone
and keep America free.

Got to tell ya, it's our Policy
for National Security,
get in line or we're gonna kill ya,
protecting OUR land of the free.

Destabilizing Pakistan
and smashing Iraq, and Beirut,
Iran, Palestine, North Korea--
See who'll first set off them nukes!

Gotta bomb them axes of evil,
gotta nuke 'til all evil is killed,
Keep America strong 'til the Rapture,
–my, the pure good are so few!

Goodby old world

We bombed Afghans down,
we're on to Iraq now–
Goodby old world,
We gave you a whirl!

North Korea gets rash–
So we make it go sm-ash–
Goodby old world,
Goodby big ball of ash.

And next it's Iran
and then Pakistan,
goodby, goodby,
cause we all gotta fry

Hey, the whole Middle East
and the great Caribbean,
goodby, great big world,
you been good for a twirl

and Syria let's bomb,
oh and China the big one,
goodby goodby world,
we've left you all curled

South America we'll do,
and Russia–ka-boo-om–
goodby old world,
goodby, it's your doom

Now there's nobody there,
no-one anywhere;
We called it defense
and it's brought on our end.

12th Night of National Security–
(Variation on another's 12th night of Christmas takeoff)

On the first night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
one national security policy.

On the second night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the third night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the fourth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the fifth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the sixth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the seventh night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the eighth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
eight U.N. resolutions scuttled,
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the ninth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
nine pre-emptive shots on "evil powers,"
eight U.N. resolutions scuttled,
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the tenth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
ten post-emptive strikes-back,
nine pre-emptive shots on "evil powers,"
eight U.N. resolutions scuttled,
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the eleventh night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
eleven nuclear powers clashing,
ten post-emptive strikes-back,
nine pre-emptive shots on "evil powers,"
eight U.N. resolutions scuttled,
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

On the twelfth night of Christmas, the Bush Group gave to me
Twelve cold dark pox-filled winters,
eleven nuclear powers clashing,
ten post-emptive strikes-back,
nine pre-emptive shots on "evil powers,"
eight U.N. resolutions scuttled,
seven nuclear-armed fleets a-sailing,
six proofs of North Korean conspiracy,
five coincidental Iraq-backed incidents,
four stock market crashes,
three percent more rise in unemployment,
two "half-full" Iraqi pots half-empty,
and one national security policy.

copyright Paula Friedman.