Utah Phillips - I Will Not Obey

      
 
 Utah Phillips
 Starlight On the Rails-A Songbook
 Banjo Tuned E, Capo2, Key D
 Verne Garrison 04 July 09
 
 Here you go Will--
 
 I Will Not Obey
 
           D                G         D  
 the new ruling party is holding the aces
 
 the rest of the cards are all missing faces
 
 i'm sorry i can't know you today
           G   D  
 what can one say?
         G    D 
 i will not obey
 
 give us your sons and give us your daughters
 no one is safe or immune from the slaughter
 how indifference makes then rage
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 national guard or freedom fighters
 all houses belong to cigarette lighters
 but who hides in the smoke?
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 better perhaps to perish outside
 of the bunkers where our generals hide
 i turn away and spit
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 give us the minds of your children to learn
 the substance of books we have not yet burned
 but can they read the sky for rain?
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 soon all tyrants will feel our impatience
 we choose to create our own combinations
 i was always willing to agree
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 the essence of contract is agreement
 not coercion or obedience
 and agreement is sacred
 what can one say?
 i will not obey
 
 there're so few wars of people's liberation
 for the people have so seldom risen; only the armed faction
 listen, the armed faction lies
 they recreate the state through their action
 when the people rise
 it is not they, but the state, which dies
 
 i sing this song for the prisoners' release
 most of all now for the new state police
 you see, the guns have changed hands - again
 what can one say?
 i will not obey