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Don't Obey (Scott Ainslie)

from The Feral Crow by Scott Ainslie

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about

As the USA was verging toward yet another war, a war without end, I wrote this song for my sons. It is a legacy song. And a barn-burner of an anti-war song. Inspired by C. P. Snow. In 1961, Snow wrote:

“When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion. The German Officer Corps were brought up in the most rigorous code of obedience…in the name of obedience they were party to, and assisted in, the most wicked large scale actions in the history of the world.”
—Quoted in Milgram, Obedience to Authority, (Harper & Row, 1974)

Full information about the song, a guide to historical references, etc. are all at: cattailmusic.com/dont-obey-notes/

lyrics

Don't Obey (Scott Ainslie)

As it was in Hitler‘s Army and Stalin‘s awful crew,
Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Pearl Harbor, too;
Across the sweep of history–There’s a truth they never tell:
There’s more horror in obedience than there’d be if we’d rebel.

So, when they speak to you of glory, and colors bright and true;
And using words like ‘good & evil’ say it all comes down to you;
When they offer you a weapon and send you out into the fray,
Don’t Obey. Don’t Obey.
Don’t Obey.

From Selma to Sharpeville; Chicago to Bei Jing;
From Kent State to Tiananmen Square: We cry out, we bleed.
But from Tolstoy to Gandhi; from Gandhi to King.
From Malcolm, and Mandela, and Biko to me.

So, when they speak to you of glory, and colors bright and true;
And using words like ‘good & evil’ say it all comes down to you;
When they offer you a weapon and send you out into the fray,
Don’t Obey. Don’t Obey.
Don’t Obey.

Aren’t those your loved ones–huddled against the wall?
Can you hear the windows shatter? Feel the building start to fall?
Something’s gone wrong with us all——-.
There’s shooting in the alley, footsteps in the hall.

If every sin were tallied, if every mother knew
Just exactly what they’re asking; exactly what you do;
How long do you think they’d stand there, with their hands by their sides?
Even all wrapped up in bunting–A lie is still a lie.

So, when they speak to you of glory, and colors bright and true;
And using words like ‘good & evil’ say it all comes down to you;
When they offer you a weapon and send you out into the fray,
Don’t Obey. Don’t Obey.
Don’t Obey.

credits

from The Feral Crow, track released September 22, 2004
Scott Ainslie, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Scott Petito, Bass
Jerry Marotta, Drums, Percussion
Marc Shulman, Electric Guitars
Peter Vitalone, Piano, Hammond B3
Leslie Ritter, Harmony Vocals
Beth Reineke, Scott Petito, Scott Ainslie, Background Vocals

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Scott Ainslie Brattleboro, Vermont

A long history with older black blues and gospel players in the mid-South marks Ainslie's work deeply. He transcribed all of Robert Johnson's recorded songs for "Robert Johnson/At The Crossroads" (Hal Leonard, 1992) and has a teaching DVD on Johnson's music. A fine songwriter with a social conscience and a belief in the power of music to move and inspire, Ainslie's voice is a great force for good! ... more

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