The Universal Soldier

<p>This is kind of random, I always loved the title song/poem by Buffy Sainte-Marie, however, only recently I found the Donovan recording of the song and it’s quite lovely (his voice is one of the best voices out there-- with sort of the Dylan air, but much more crisp and smooth)! Anyways, it’s been on replay for so many times that now I think everyone around me must be sick of it-- but it’s SO powerful-- so now I am sharing it with you. xD</p>

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<p>He’s five feet two and he’s six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He’s all of 31 and he’s only 17
He’s been a soldier for a thousand years</p>

<p>He’s a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn’t kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you</p>

<p>And he’s fighting for Canada,
he’s fighting for France,
he’s fighting for the USA,
and he’s fighting for the Russians
and he’s fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we’ll put an end to war this way</p>

<p>And he’s fighting for Democracy
and fighting for the Reds
He says it’s for the peace of all
He’s the one who must decide
who’s to live and who’s to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls</p>

<p>But without him how would Hitler have
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He’s the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can’t go on</p>

<p>He’s the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can’t you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.</p>

<p>-Buffy Sainte-Marie</p>

<hr>

<p>Any good songs you’ve had on the loop?</p>

<p>Tool’s new album “10,000 Days” is amazing.</p>

<p>To keep in the war tone
“Its a Wonderful Life” By Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution</p>

<p>Once again I wake up alone on the wrong side of my bed,
once again you begin your dancing nakedly on the right side of my head.
For a lack of better words that I can hardly speak my soul and
what I’m feeling what I’m feeling what I’m feeling
when it’s time to lose control, my love
And once again we’re off to war, but I can’t agree
with what we’re fighting for.
And that’s not all because every time she smiles I see her soul,
and I smile what a wonderful life.</p>

<p>It’s true I used to try, but then I gave up.
I learned it doesn’t really matter what I do and enough,
to appease or to please all my well-meaning things seem to all go up in smoke.
And every time I’m looking through these war field skies I wonder
what she’s doing why I wanted to die, but tonight I will fight for my life
so I might see my wife again.
I explained to her that I’d be back.
When I gave my word that fighting wouldn’t last.
But despite my path I know that every breath I draw might be my last. And I smile its been a wonderful life.</p>

<p>Goddamn, another summer in the city and I’ve never seen a girl look
so pretty as you when you smile oh for a while I was hoping
I might see you again.
I know (I know) that everybody’s willing to go,
but I find (I find) I turned it all even a dime,
if I leave tonight through what’s right I can make it home by dawn.
And I was told boy prepare for war, but they failed to mention
what I’d be fighting for.
So I fight for this the fact that as I pass away I feel her kiss.
And I sigh what a wonderful life.
Me oh my what a wonderful life.
Oh to die for such a wonderful life.</p>

<p>Great Song Great Band, Its on the web (for free legally too!)</p>

<p>I love Vicarious, Jambi, and 10,000 Days off it :D</p>

<p>Not as serious or sad but still pretty sweet, Barenaked Ladies did this song live when I saw them at Mohegan SUn</p>

<p>It was an upset
In two minutes flat
We’re back on the freeway
Foot to the mat
I can’t understand it
We had it down pat
It’s very upsetting
Could we leave it at that
We all had positions
We each had a role
We’d overrehearsed it
We had full control
They can’t teach you acting
It’s there in your soul
It’s the same with a bank job
And each thing we stole</p>

<p>So I don’t need attitude
Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone</p>

<p>I was the driver
You ran the show
You had the last word
The go or no go
I knew every laneway
In Ontario
But it’s not what you’re sure of
It’s what you don’t know
It should have been filled with
The usual ones
Throwing their cash in
To mutual funds
We all had our ski masks
And sawed off shotguns
But how do you plan for
A bank full of nuns
But I guess we panicked
We all have taboos
And they were like zebras
They had us confused
We should be in condos
With oceanfront views
Instead we’re most wanted
On the 6 o’clock news</p>

<p>So, I don’t need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
we all need to rest now
Leave me alone
And wait by the phone</p>

<p>Inside the police car
You tried to explain
Your crisis of conscience
The voice in your brain
And now that the whole thing
Has gone down the drain
I think we all know who
Should shoulder the blame
'Cause you made a choice there
Almost sublime
I’m all for compassion
Just not on my dime
You look like an amateur
And that’s the real crime
So I’ll take a walk now
And you do the time</p>

<p>And I don’t need attitude
'Cause you knew just what to do
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
There’s no need to phone</p>

<p>We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone
We all did our best now
We all need to rest now
Leave me alone</p>

<p>Tool- Lateralus. Not off the new album but best song ever.</p>

<p>Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me, let’s me see</p>

<p>As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn beyond the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend</p>

<p>Over thinking, over analyzing, separate the body from the mind
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment, drawing way outside the lines</p>

<p>Black then white are all I see in my infancy
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me, let’s me see
There is so much more and beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities</p>

<p>As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn outside the lines of reason
Push the envelope, watch it bend</p>

<p>Over thinking, over analyzing, separate the body from the mind
Withering my intuition, leaving opportunities behind</p>

<p>Feed my will to feel this moment
Urging me to cross the line
Reaching out to embrace the random
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come</p>

<p>I embrace my
Desire to
I embrace my
Desire to
Feel the rhythm, to
Feel connected
Enough to step aside and
Weep like a widow, to
Feel inspired, to
Fathom the power, to
Witness the beauty, to
Bathe in the fountain, to
Swing on the spiral, to
Swing on the spiral, to</p>

<p>Swing on the spiral of
Our divinity and
Still be a human</p>

<p>With my feet upon the ground I move myself between the sounds
And open wide to suck it in, I feel it move across my skin
I’m reachin’ up and reachin’ out, I’m reachin’ for the random or
Whatever will bewilder me, whatever will bewilder me
And following our will and wind, we may just go where no one’s been
We’ll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one’s been</p>

<p>Spiral out
Keep going
Spiral out
Keep going
Spiral out
Keep going
Spiral out!
Keep going</p>

<p>Recently I’ve been spinning Animal Collective’s ‘Sung Tongs’ and Philip Glass’ “Glassworks” in my car.</p>