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Buffy Sainte Marie. No, no, Keshagesh!

Buffy Sainte Marie comes from the indigenous Cree people of Canada. “Keshagesh” is a Cree word meaning something like “greedy guts.” Socialists will understand “Keshagesh” or “Mr. Greed” as the world’s capitalist class, or capital as the ever-expanding and all-devouring force of production for profit. 

I never saw so many business suits.

Never knew a dollar sign that looked so cute.

Never knew a junkie with a money Jones:

He's singing, "Who's selling Park Place? Who's buying Boardwalk?”

 

These old men they make their dirty deals.

Go in the back room and see what they can steal.

Talk about your beautiful and spacious skies.

It's about uranium; it's about the water rights.

 

Put Mother Nature on a luncheon plate.

They cut her up and call it real estate.

Want all the resources and all of the land.

They make a war over it

Blow things up for it.

 

The reservation now is poverty row.

There's something cooking and the lights are low.

Somebody's trying to save our mother earth.

I'm gonna help them to save it,

To sing it and bring it

[ Lyrics from: om/lyrics/b/buffy_sainte_marie/no_no_keshagesh.html No no Keshagesh:

You can't do that no more!

No, no, no, no Keshagesh:

You can't do that no more!

 

Ole Columbus he was looking good,

When he got lost in our neighborhood.

Garden of Eden right before his eyes.

Now it's all spy ware: now it's all income tax.

 

Ole' brother Midas looking hungry today.

What he can't buy he'll get some other way.

Send in the troopers if the natives resist.

Old, old story boys, that's how you do it boys.

 

Look at these people; ah they're on a roll.

Gonna have it all, gonna have complete control.

Want all the resources and all of the land.

They'll break the law for it

Blow things up for it.

 

When all our champions are off in the war,

Their final rip off here and is always on.

Mr. Greed, I think your time has come.

We're gonna sing it and pray it and live it then say it.

 

No no Keshagesh:

You can't do that no more!

No, no, no, no Keshagesh:

You can't do that no more! 

Ich bin Soldat

This song was composed by an anonymous German writer in the 1870s, in response to the wars of German unification. Here are the lyrics in English:

I am a soldier,

But I don't like being one.

They didn't ask me;

They dragged me away into a barracks

Where I was held captive and hunted like an animal.

I had to leave my home, my friends and my sweetheart.

Thinking about it makes me furious.

 

I am a soldier, but only against my will.

I don't love the blue uniform.

I don't love this bloody warfare.

A stick would suffice to defend myself.

Oh tell me, what do you need soldiers for?

All peoples only love ease and peace.

You destroy that just out of imperiousness and to harm your people.

 

I'm a soldier, I have to march day and night.

Instead of holding down my work I have to be on sentry duty.

Instead of being free I have to salute

And see the arrogance of snotty youngsters.

And when we go to war, I have to murder brothers

Who never harmed me in any way.

 

But at least as a cripple I can wear decorations and medals,

And starving I will exclaim: “I was a soldier!”

All you brothers, whether Germans or French,

Hungarians or Danes or from the Netherlands,

Whether your pants are green or red, blue or white,

Instead of lead shot let's give each other a brother’s hand!

 

Let's march back to our home countries

And free our nations from the tryants!

Because only tyrants have to wage wars.

A soldier of freedom, now that I want to be.

A soldier of freedom, now that I want to be.

Prekrasnoe dalyoko (The Beautiful Far-Off Land)

Prekrasnoe dalyoko (The Beautiful Far-Off Land), performed here by the Meridian Trio, is a Russian song from the Soviet period. Here are the lyrics in in English: 

I hear a voice from a beautiful far-off land,

A voice in the silver morning dawn.

I hear a voice and the tempting road

Spins my head like a children’s roundabout.


Refrain:
 

Beautiful far-off land,

Don’t be cruel to me,

Don’t be cruel to me,

To me don’t be cruel.

From a pure source,

The beautiful far-off land,

Beautiful far-off land,

I’m starting my way.


I hear a voice from a beautiful far-off land.

It calls me to magical expanses.

A voice that asks me sternly:

What did I do today for tomorrow?
 

I swear to become purer and kinder

And never to betray a friend.

I hear a voice and hasten to answer its call

On the road that leaves no trace. 

Di Shvue — the Anthem of the Bund

Di Shvue (The Oath) was the anthem of the Jewish Labor Bund, to which my grandmother belonged. It was composed by Shloyme Rappoport (S. Ansky, 1863 – 1920). This rendition was performed by Zahava Seewald. These are the lyrics translated from the Yiddish: 

Brothers and sisters in toil and struggle,

All who are dispersed far and wide,

Come together, the flag is ready.

It waves in anger, it is red with blood!

Swear an oath of life and death!

 

Heaven and earth will hear us,

The bright stars will bear witness.

An oath of blood, an oath of tears,

We swear, we swear, we swear!

 

We swear an endless loyalty to the Bund.

Only it can free the slaves now.

The red flag is high and wide.

It waves in anger, it is red with blood!

Swear an oath of life and death! 

Recommended Videos

General

An Introduction to World Socialism

Against environmental devastation

I recommend a talk by the mountaineer Glenn Morris on the theme "Business Growth in Conflict with the Environment" (July 3, 2010). You will find the video on the SPGB video page. Also:

The Koch Brothers' War on Climate Science

 Buffy Sainte Marie. No, no, Keshagesh!

 Global Warming & Climate Change Documentary

Against war 

 Speech by Charlie Chaplin

 Ich bin Soldat

About class society

 Working Class Hero - John Lennon

 Conspiracy Of Silence

About socialism

Speech on Socialism, Part 1 from Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

Speech on Socialism, Part 2 from Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

 John Lennon Imagine

 Prekrasnoe dalyoko (The Beautiful Far-Off Land)

 Capitalism and Other Kids' Stuff

Other 

 Di Shvue — the Anthem of the Bund

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