Simple Heavy Protest

A bit overly earnest and a bit full of itself…just like all protest songs should be.

I wrote the first verse of the song around 2012, the words kinda just fell into place. I finally got around to doing something with it in 2017, and it became my first protest song.

Lyrics

Could the answer be so simple
That we get it the first time
Even in the sunshine
Would we ever see the sign
With all the music and the shouting
of these convoluted times
And all the merchants and the sales
of all the love and all the hate
The music and the shouting
Also serves to complicate
The simple nature of our nature (I hope)
Our simple, simple ways
Is it too late?

I wish it was so simple,
I wish that were the way
People find their own peace
Without saying what others say
Instead of brands for this or that
Sips of the colorful grand Kool-aid
Making motions others made
To play a part in the party play
Chasing fallacy and fads
In ads of the steering class
Telling tales about the future,
Tales about the past
Is this our way?

Where do we lead all our sons and daughters?
If we don’t teach them to see on their own
It’s not enough, all of the made-up answers
Isn’t it time that we ask, “What is true?”

Simple makes a nice theme
for this song I like to sing
Fine for me the single
But not much for the whole group thing
We the people vote the pureness
The right-left words of sway
But it’s time for critical thinking
That’s what we deserve
Respect ourselves at least that much
Our children even more
Stand them up for reason and rightness
And send them on their way
It’s ours to us to say

Could the answer be so simple
That we get it the first time
Even in the sunshine
Would we ever see the sign
With all the music and the shouting
of these convoluted times
And all the merchants and the sales
of all the love and all the hate
The music and the shouting
Also serves to complicate
The simple nature of our nature (I hope)
Our simple, simple ways
Is it too late?