The War

Discussion

3-14-2001: The counterpoint to "Thirty Silver Coins". Again, this is a very quick'n'dirty take. This is the first time I've sung it with these lyrics. This song was written over the past three days, and the lyrics are still in flux. The guitar track is pretty shakey too -- the occasional hickups are where I'm trying to figure out a chord change that'll hit the vocal change I'm about to make.

You'll notice that I tried another singing voice for this song. Sort of growling bluesy singing voice, sort of a cross between late-era Leonard Cohen and Willie Dixon. I guess I'm just now awaking to the possibility that my voice could be an instrument. I once thought I had only one way to sing -- crappy. Now I have at least three ways to go -- Elvis, Dylan, or Dixon.

Lyrics

The War

The war is over
and we all lost
now there's nothing left
but to count the cost

nothin' left of the cause
for which we fought
no peace and justice here
in this land that blood bought

well they called us kooks
and they called us insane
and nobody seemed to care
except when they wanted to blame

Well it wasn't much of a war
just one battle you know
and our soldiers deserted
when the first bullets flew

and our so-called leaders
went to the other side
with their thirty coins of silver
they didn't have the grace to die

well, wasn't much to do then
but go home and take the blame
and try to survive the best we could
in a world that forgot our name

well the war is over
and we all lost
sometimes I wonder why
so many deserted to the other side

nothing left to do but punish
those for whom we fought
who never seemed to care about
whether we won or we lost

and to live our lives in shame
and to live our lives in blame
and to know that if we'd tried
maybe we would have died

and been martyrs for the cause
and maybe we would not have lost
but we would not pay that cost
and now we wish somebody would

Well the war is over
and peace and justice lost
nobody gives a damn
and nobody knows the cost