Dirty Little War

We got to talking last night about the chants we used during the protests to the Viet Nam war: "Hey, hey, LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?" "Hey, hey, ho, ho, Tricky Dick has got to go!" "Out, now!" My wonderful friend B. brought up a John Prine song that I'd somehow missed. Here, for the march this Saturday, is an updated version.


YELLOW RIBBON With Apologies to John Prine

Well while digesting Reader's Digest
In the back of a dirty book store,
A magnetic yellow ribbon
Fell out on the floor.
So I picked it up and I ran outside
And I slapped it on my SUV,
And if I could see old Betsy Ross now
I'd tell her how good I feel.

Chorus
Oh but your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.


(Well) I went into the bank this morning
and the teller she said to me,
"If you join our Christmas club
we'll give you ten of those magnetic yellow ribbons for free."
So I didn't mess around a bit
and I took her up on what she said.
And I stuck those magnetic yellow ribbons all over my SUV
And one on my wife's forehead.

Oh but your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.


(Well) I got my SUV so stickered up
That I couldn't see.
Then I ran it right upside a curb
And then right into a tree.
By the time they called a doctor down
I was already dead.
And I'll never understand why the man
Standing at the Pearly Gates said...

Oh but your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.
They're already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don't like killin'
No matter what the reason's for,
And your magnetic yellow ribbon won't get you
Into Heaven any more.