THERE ARE CHILDREN AT THE CANNONS

[seemslikeadream]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFowNFvmUxw



I've been waiting for something to happen
For a week or a month or a year
With the blood in the ink of the headlines
And the sound of the crowd in my ear

You might ask what it takes to remember
When you know that youve seen it before
Where a government lies to a people
And a country is drifting to war

And theres a shadow on the faces
Of the men who send the guns
To the wars that are fought in places
Where their business interest runs

On the radio talk shows and the t.v.
You hear one thing again and again
How the u.s.a. stands for freedom
And we come to the aid of a friend

But who are the ones that we call our friends--
These governments killing their own?
Or the people who finally can't take any more
And they pick up a gun or a brick or a stone
There are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

Theres a shadow on the faces
Of the men who fan the flames
Of the wars that are fought in places
Where we cant even say the names

They sell us the president the same way
They sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars

I want to know who the men in the shadows are
I want to hear somebody asking them why
They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are
But they're never the ones to fight or to die
And there are lives in the balance
There are people under fire
There are children at the cannons
And there is blood on the wire

[stellanoir]

1. I found it ironically striking that this simple acoustic version packs far more

of a wallop with the passion in his voice than the original.

Or maybe I'm just paying greater attention now and the atrocities are that much more colossal. Not sure.

K & R'd

[Laurab]

4. I don't know which it is either, but it does certainly hit harder

for me, too. Back then, when the original came out, I wasn't all that interested in the politics of the song, so it could be my just paying more attention that makes it so much more powerful now.

When I first saw this video (it's been on his website ever since the acoustic cd came out, I think), I got chills, and I STILL get them.

[Laurab]

5. K & R n/t

[Jcrowley]

2. K&R n/t

[donsu]

3. kick

nt

[seemslikeadream]

6. How can it feel, this wrong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCl2bxoxSxQ



Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say

How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong

Storm.. in the morning light
I feel
No more can I say
Frozen to myself

I got nobody on my side
And surely that ain't right
And surely that ain't right

Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say

How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong

How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong

Ohh, can't anybody see
We've got a war to fight
Never found our way
Regardless of what they say

How can it feel, this wrong
From this moment
How can it feel, this wrong

[saltpoint]

7. This song is a masterpiece and Jackson Browne is a genius of heart.

Not a bad composer, either.

Thank you for posting it.

[mahina]

8. Video of Jackson Browne and friends performing Lives in the Balance at the protest a couple weeks ag

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lZALe5VOGpo

[seemslikeadream]

10. Thank you so much mahina

:hug:

[mahina]

12. Aloha no

It's time to change and reclaim our country! Eo.:pals:

[mahina]

9. His new CD is a real treasure,

acoustic vol. 1. Really special, really beautiful, and obviously deserving support.

[seemslikeadream]

11. I focus on the pain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVkoYGlthH0

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

[alphafemale]

13. Thanks for this.

I'll share it with others

[halobeam]

14. Jackson's lyrics have captured my heart since I was 12 years old.

I think the power of his words in many of his songs, resemble the times we are experiencing now. I believe they will do so, throughout all time. This video in particular is extremely potent. I've heard this song over and over again, and what catches me is are the last two words..."there are"... He is saying it "they're REALLY ARE!", his soul screams for people to understand this is real. We sit in our comfort and can't wrap our heads around the fact this is real.. he cries this is happening... "There are" lives in the balance. Today it may not be ours (directly), but those lives are exactly equal to ours, in every way.

I loved the performance at a protest (link provided in this thread, ty). In his intro to the song, he said, It's an old song, and unfortunately, it's a song still needing to be sung. (paraphrasing). He added another verse at the end.