Songs

"SING ALONG WITH THE RAGING GRANNIES!" is a song sheet with a selection of sparkling new lyrics to some familiar tunes.
downolad song sheet

VOTERS HELP AMERICA

Voters help America,
We need you bad,
Cause our leaders are cheaters
And they’re making the world really mad.
Climbing mountains, crossing oceans
And invading foreign soil.
Voters help America, no blood for oil.
Voters save America
No blood for oil.
(Lyrics by Kay Sather, Tucson Raging Grannies; edited by Mercy Van Vlack of the NYC Raging Grannies)

I Heard That Song Before
(Tune: “ It Seems to Me I Heard That Song Before.”)

It seems to me I heard that song before.
It’s from an old familiar war.
It says it’s time to bomb Iran.
That’s what we did to Iraq,
That was over four years back;
We bombed and soon that war began.

Oh so it seems to me I heard that song before.
It’s from an old familiar war.
We bombed Cambodia that time.
That was 35 years ago,
And Viet Nam was the show.
We bombed and that was another crime.

Oh so it seems to me I heard that song before.
It was an old familiar war.
And North Viet Nam it was our goal.
We fought the Viet Namese.
They brought us to our knees.
And in the end we paid the toll.

It seems to me that song they started now
Is one we never can allow.
We heard them sing that song before.
(Change tune) We have to shout our demand.
We must not invade Iran.
We must stop this endless war.
(Lyrics by Corinne Willinger)

IF I ONLY HAD A SPINE
(Tune: "If I Only Had a Heart/The Wizard of Oz”)

Since our legislative leaders
Are puny Bush conceders,
On war they are benign.
To ensure their career
Bush decides and they adhere.
If they only had a spine.

(Hillary)
I would stop the war on Iraq
And bring all of our troops back
Commit no more war crime.
With the funds we’ve been spending
All world hunger I’d be ending
If I only had a spine.

(Chuck)
The Patriot Act I’d repeal
So basic rights could be real
No government spy line!
Mister Bush I would censure
Make impeachment my next venture
If I only had a spine
(Both Senators)
Picture me. My conscience free!
Ending CAFTA, NAFTA, and world poverty,
Granting immigrants their amnesty
And making health care a reality.

(All)
I would not be just a nothing
My guts all full of stuffing
Espousing party line.
Corporate criminals I’d shame
But who would fund my next campaign?
If I only had a spine!
(Lyrics by Alice Sutter, Mercy Van Vlack, and Corinne Willinger of the NYC Raging Grannies)

THE TROOPS LAMENT
(with apologies to Harry Belafonte)

Day O! Da-a-ay O!
Day or night we want to go home!
Day! Is-a-day, is-a-day, is-a-da-a-ay O!
Listen to us and bring us all home.

Grand Ole Army USA
Day or night we want to go home!
Where do you think we’ll be sent today?
Listen to us and bring us all home.

Bush and (Rumsfeld)Condi you’ve been lying
Day or night we want to go home!
You said we won but now we’re dying
Listen to us and bring us all home.

Day O! Da-a-ay O!
Day or night we want to go home!
Day! Is-a-day, is-a-day, is-a-da-a-ay O!
Listen to us and bring us all home.

We fought your wars to get you oil
Day or night we want to go home!
It cost our lives on Iraqi soil
Listen to us and bring us all home.

Day O! Da-a-ay O!
Day or night we want to go home!
Day! Is-a-day, is-a-day, is a da-a-ay O!
Listen to us and bring us all home.
(Lyrics by Corinne Willinger)

THE GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE
(Tune: "Battle Hymn of the Republic")

Our Peace Brigade is on the move and we will not retreat.
We send our message far and wide to everyone we greet
We tell the world that we’re in style but war is obsolete,
The Granny Peace Brigade.

Chorus:
Move on over or we’ll move on over you,
Move on over, we’re the Grannies trekking through!
Move on over or we’ll move on over you,
The Granny Peace Brigade.

We’ve been around a time or two and lived through lots of wars,
And seen the senseless killing on so many distant shores.
We’re here to say that they can’t take our grandkids anymore!
The Granny Peace Brigade.

They thought that if they jailed us we would meekly go away,
But they didn’t know that Grannies always have to have their say.
We say this war must end and all our troops come home today!
The Granny Peace Brigade.

Our eyesight’s growing weaker and our hearing’s almost shot,
Our breasts are slowly sagging and our figure’s gone to pot,
But our voice is growing stronger and we will not be forgot!
The Granny Peace Brigade.

Move on over or we’ll move on over you,
Move on over, we’re the Grannies trekking through!
Move on over or we’ll move on over you,
The Granny Peace Brigade.
(Lyrics by Vicki Ryder of the Rochester Raging Grannies,
First verse by Corinne Willinger)

GIVE IRAQ OUR CONSTITUTION
(Tune: “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandee”)

Give Iraq our Constitution,
We don’t use it anymore.
Bush and Congress passed the Patriot Act,
And we’ve got a new emperor.
He sends his prisoners to be tortured,
With no trial he jails them all .
Yankee Doodle went to Iraq
On a broken Humvee.
It’s time we work for his recall.

Bush can trash our Constitution,
McCain and colleagues all agree.
They have compromised the rule of law
And Congress changed our history.
Now-those deemed “enemy combatants”
Stay in jail without a trial.
Habeas Corpus is now cancelled
And they can’t appe-al
It’s time we work for its repeal
We must demand a better deal.
(Lyrics by Corinne Willinger)

DOO DAH
(Tune: "Camptown Races")

Raging Grannies
Sing our song.
Doo dah, doo dah.
Raging Grannies say
War is wrong.
All the doo dah day!

Gonna rage and roar,
Gonna stop all war.
Raging Grannies
Sing our song
All the doo dah day!

Bush’s policies are wrong,
They’re Doo doo, doo doo,
Iraq is not where we belong
And killing’s not the way.

Gonna roar all night,
Gonna rage all day.
We’re here to stop the war machine,
Don’t get in our way!
(Lyrics by Vicki Ryder of the Rochester Raging Grannies)

ARE YOU SLEEPING?
(Tune: "Frere Jacques")

Are you sleeping, are you sleeping,
Uncle Sam? Uncle Sam?
Anti-war bells ringing
Hear the people singing
"No to war! No to war!"
(Lyrics by GranMokoto, Grannies Without Borders)

HALLIBURTON
(Tune: "Hava Nagila")

Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton - Profits from war.
Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton - Profits from war.

The U.S., they bomb, bomb, bomb,
There's no more calm, calm, calm,
Like Viet Nam, Nam, Nam,
We profit from war.

Who rules, who rules Iraqis?
Who's in charge? Shi-ites think they are.
Who's in charge? Sunni's not anymore
Who's in charge, to gain from postwar? (Pause)
(Slow next 3 lines)
Who's in charge?
Who's in charge?
American cor-por-a-a-tions.

Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton
Halli-, Halliburton - Profits from war.
(Lyrics by Connie Graves, Tucson Raging Grannies)

EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION
(Tune: St. James Infirmary Blues)

Extra-ordinary rendition
Is a terrible condition,
But you can’t get an admission
From a Bu-ush politician.
Extra-ordinary rendition
Puts its victims in a bad position,
They are dragged away without permission,
And its worse than the inquisition.
Let her go, let him go God bless them
Wherever they may be.
They may wander this whole wide world over,
Without capture, torture or depravity.
Extra-ordinary rendition
Tolerates no opposition.
We must have its abolition.
To depose the jailers is our mission.
(Lyrics by Corinne Willinger)