I was organizing my desktop [a daunting task] and I found this rewrite I did of an old Tom Paxton song, Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation. For those of you who don't know that song, it was a great Viet Nam war protest song. If you don't know of Tom Paxton, you certainly know his songs. When GW started making surge sounds, Paxton's old song popped into my head and kind of rewrote itself.
I googled a line from the original song because I wasn't sure of the right name for it and much to my surprise found that Tom had also rewritten it and it is on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft36GQMmvXs
I have posted some comments regarding ways to shift the context and the center of the national conversation to the left.
I think music has great potential. This song is not so relevant now. I just hope I never have to write this so I have to rhyme with and fit Afghanistan into the song. If my attempts at waxing lyrical can inspire anyone to do something similar that will forward peace and social justice, I will feel like I have done something worthwhile.

So here's my rewrite:

George Double You Told The Nation

I saw an ad on my tv
You can be all that you can be
Come on down and sign the dotted line
Though it may seem very queer

We've got no jobs to give you here
We will send you to Iraq's front line

[Cho:]

G Double you told the nation

Have no fear of escalation.

I am trying Conoco to please.

Though it isn't really war, 

We're sending 20,000 more

To help save Iraq from the Iraqis


I landed on the hot tarmac
Something told me that Iraq
Was not a place I wanted to be found
Hot as hell and dry as dust
They loaded us upon a bus
And told us duck your heads and just keep down

[Cho:]

Every night the local gentry,

Sneak out past the sleeping sentry.

To put IEDs where they can't be found
Never mind we've got no training,

Think of all the ground we're gaining,

Just don't take one step outside of town

[Cho:]

We go around in camo Hummers,

Without armor, it's a bummer,

Searching for the insurgents in vain.

They left a note that they had gone.

They had to get down to Iran,

Their government positions to maintain.

[Cho:]

Well here we are in this oasis,

Going through our daily paces,

And I know that Dub'ya loves me so.

Yet how sadly I remember,

Way back yonder in November,

When he said we'd never have to go.

[Cho:]

The people here don't seem to see
That we brought them democracy
They owe a debt of gratitude to us
And yet they have the nerve to say
That we should up and go away
As if we were to blame for all this fuss

[Cho:]

We'll kill a hundred thousand more
To save you from your civil war
We're the ones who know what's best for you
All we want's some gratitude
You only give us attitude
Why you hate us, we don't have a clue

[Cho:]

They say it's not about the oil
That's underneath this sandy soil
Ask Exxon Mobil Conoco and Shell
We die to honor those who died
To satisfy our nation's pride
So you can drive your SUV to hell

[Cho:]

Have fun