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Train Song (Don't Let Freedom Fade Away)

from Fathers and Sons by John Lester

/

lyrics

I’m looking at my country from the outside-in again
And I see a demagogue get ushered
He reached down from the one percent
And shook the hands of all our angry men
He doled out empty promises
And bathed his facts in spin

He told us that our greatness was just a memory from the past
He pointed fingers and blamed make him win
He said he’d a wall
And put “the foreigners” at fault
But no barrier protects us
From the enemy within

But like an American train song
Or some 1950’s jazz
We’re all living in a stream of moments
Between our future and the past
If everything we are tomorrow
Comes from our actions of today
Then let’s not build a wall ‘round freedom
Or our freedom is gonna fade away

With the news as propaganda
And the media for sale
He hid the truth behind a very thin white veil
He cherry picked his facts
And offered nothing but attacks
So from his Bully Puppet’s podium
Our values were assailed

He divided up the nation
With no a Mason-Dixon line
Told rural counties that he’s was one of their own kind
Though they could clearly see his face
They looked beyond all his disgrace
To hear his populist promises
That take us back in time

But like an American train song
Or some 1950’s jazz
We’re all living in a stream of moments
Between our future and the past
If everything we are tomorrow
Comes from our actions of today
Then let’s not build a wall ‘round freedom
Or our freedom is gonna to fade away

What will we say to our founding fathers
On the day we return as the prodigal son
If we let misogyny and hate
Create a fascist state
Then the liberties we’ve long fought for
Will all become undone

But like an American train song
Or some 1950’s jazz
We’re all living in a stream of moments
Between our future and the past
If everything we are tomorrow
Come from our actions of today
Let’s not build a wall ‘round freedom
So our freedom will never fade away

Freedom forged our sovereign nation
Then we gave freedom through emancipation
We gave it to the suffragettes
The gays and lesbians need it yet
We gave for our women’s choices
We gave it for our colored voices
If we don’t stop this hate and bigotry
Then we’ll all be freedom’s refugees

Don’t let it fade way
Don’t let it fade away
Don’t let it fade away

©John Lester

credits

from Fathers and Sons, released June 18, 2017
John Lester - vocals, nylon string guitar, acoustic bass guitar
Baxter Robertson - Hammond organ and background vocals
Paul Tiernan - background vocals
Tim Bulkley - drums

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John Lester San Francisco, California

Award-winning singer-songwriter, bassist and multi-instrumentalist.

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