March 2026

Rather be alive!

“I'm living with war everyday
I'm living with war in my heart everyday
I'm living with war right now”

“No god, no king
I said love is the thing
No crown, no ring
I said love is the thing
No god, no king
I said love is the thing”

“It's up to you, not to heed the call up
I don't wanna die
It's up to you, not to hear the call up
I don't wanna kill”

“Tonight's the night that we got the truck
We're going downtown, gonna beat up drunks
Your turn to drive, I'll bring the beer
It's the late, late shift, no one to fear”

“Oh workers can you stand it?
Tell me how you can
Will you be a lousy scab
Or will you be a man?”

“Fire at the breeze that blows these thoughts through our minds
Hire only thieves to steal the thoughts from our heads, oh”

“My future snapped like a rubber band
Off my fold on a hand to hand
He drew from his waist
I put two in his roof
And I can still hear his screams
All night”

“Rather be dead
Than alive by your oppression
Rather be dead
Than alive by your design”

“Colo-mentality
(If you say you be colonial man)
(You don be slave man before)
(Them don release you now)
(But you never release yourself)”

“You wanted everything
You needed everything
You wanted everything
You needed everything
You wanted everything
You needed everything
You wanted everything
You needed everything”

“Come, you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs

You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin’
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it’s your little toy

You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe

But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten all the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you sit back and watch
While the death count gets higher

You hide in your mansion
While the young peoples’ blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You’ve thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world

For threatenin’ my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain’t worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn?
You might say that I’m young
You might say I’m unlearned

But there’s one thing I know
Though I’m younger than you
That even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good?
Will it buy you forgiveness?
Do you think that it could?

I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death will come soon
I’ll follow your casket
On a pale afternoon

I’ll watch while you’re lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I’ll stand over your grave
‘Til I’m sure that you’re dead”