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Let Me Sing You A Song, And Then…

"When I was 17, it was a very good year."
-- Ervin Drake, as sung by Frank Sinatra.

Remember when you were seventeen. In 1962, when I was seventeen, I did not feel that it was a good year. In October of 1962, the joy of my "seniorhood" was broken by the rumble of military machines making their way through my hometown to South Florida during the Cuban missile crisis. We were at the height of the "Cold War". I was encouraged to graduate early from high school because I was disruptive. To "Mature Me" I spent the rest of my 17^th year in Marine Corps boot camp. But 1962 was also the first time I heard Pete Seeger's song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" that became a smash hit for Peter, Paul, and Mary. I have learned and have forgotten the words to many folk songs over the years but I've never forgotten the words to "Where Have All The Flowers Gone". Perhaps it was this song that subtly sparked the anti-war demonstrations of the sixties and seventies. In retrospect it was the song that made it a good year.

Mind you, I tried to be a good Republican. I later served in the Army and held my finger on the nuclear trigger as the Russians invaded Czechoslovakiain 1968. I voted for Nixon in 1972(remember Watergate) and Reagan in 1984 (remember Iran Contra). However these are not my most shameful moments of conformity. I would have to save that for my not marching to Selma, Alabama . And where has all this conformity gotten me? From trembling under my desk in nuclear terror and the stench of "Police State" like abuses in 1962 to trembling under my desk in nuclear terror and the stench of "Police State" like abuses in 2002. Sure things were better for a while but one can only wonder after forty years "Is The Circle Unbroken"?

Will The Circle Be Unbroken

Chorus:
Will the Circle be unbroken
By and by, oh by and by?
Will we gather on that hillside
When the full moon climbs the sky?

Verse:
There'll be dancin', there'll be singin'
As we raise our voices high.
As we praise the Lord and Lady
As we did in days gone by.

Verse
To the Old Ones, in the old ways
We will sing our songs of praise
'Til the hills and valleys join us
Underneath the midnite skies.

Verse:
In the old days, we were hunted
And so many put to death
In their prisons, on their gallows
In the fire's blazing breath.

Verse:
Though they killed so many thousands
Still our faith it did not die.
Now we children of the Lady
Meet again beneath the sky.

Verse:
Now we gather on the hillside
And we sing what's in our heart
As the Old Ones sang before us,
Merry Meet and Merry Part.

Chorus:
Yes the Circle is unbroken
By and by, oh by and by.
We will gather on that hillside
When the full moon climbs the sky.

 

Recently, I have become disheartened by events in the Middle East where 17 year old Palestinians blow up 17 year old Israelis and where 17 year old Israelis are building the world's largest concentration camp to house 17 year old Palestinians. Where HAVE All The Flowers Gone? Perhaps America could have done more to help?

I have become disheartened that the country I have served in uniform is waging perpetual war and can't find its way to lead world to peace. Such a shame John Lennon was killed. Maybe we could have "given him a chance" as "Leader Of The Free World".

Surly we can change our behavior. But first we must feel remorse. Shall we take a moment to lament?

Let's update this a bit. So I'll just add my own verse to Pete's work.

But this is America. Still the home of the free and brave. We don't just cry in our beer. We do something. Anything, even if it's wrong. So, I am going to tune up and sing a little Phil Ochs.

Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore

For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying
I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore

Chorus
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all

For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brother
And so many others
And I ain't marchin' anymore

For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore

(chorus)

For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning
I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore

Now the labor leader's screamin' when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more.

And then…

RECOMMENDED BOOK: The New Nuclear Danger.
In her uncannily timely new book, Dr. Helen Caldicott, nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Physicians for Social Responsibility, looks at the indebtedness of the Bush Administration to the arms industry and warns of the incredible dangers inherent in allowing weapons manufacturers to dictate foreign policy.

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About The Author

bobby jennings is co-publisher of InnerSelf Publications and webmaster of InnerSelf.com. Originally a Democrat for many years, he moved to the Republican party in the mid 1980's. He now supports common sense initiatives from all parties, but is a registered Green Party member. He is an ex-Army officer and retired small business owner. He was born, raised, and educated in the "Old South" in Northern Florida. 

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