The Folk Song Army lyrics

Song information

Artist: Tom Lehrer
Album: That Was The Year That Was

Lyrics

One type of song that has come into increasing prominence in recent months is the folk-song of protest. you have to admire people who sing these songs. it takes a certain amount of courage to get up in a coffee-house or a college auditorium and come out in favor of the things that everybody else in the audience is against like peace and justice and brotherhood and so on. the nicest thing about a protest song is that it makes you feel so good. I have a song here which I realise should be accompanied on a folk instrument in which category the piano does not alas qualify so imagine if you will that I am playing an 88 string guitar

We are the folk song army
Everyone of us cares
We all hate poverty, war, and injustice
Unlike the rest of you squares

There are innocuous folk songs
Yeah, but we regard 'em with scorn
The folks who sing 'em have no social conscience
Why they don't even care if jimmy crack corn

If you feel dissatisfaction
Strum your frustrations away
Some people may prefer action
But give me a folk song any old day

The tune don't have to be clever
And it don't matter if you put a coupla extra syllables into a line
It sounds more ethnic if it ain't good english
And it don't even gotta rhyme--excuse me--rhyne

Remember the war against franco?
That's the kind where each of us belongs
Though he may have won all the battles
We had all the good songs

So join in the folk song army
Guitars are the weapons we bring
To the fight against poverty, war, and injustice
Ready! aim! sing!