by Colin Mutchler
1998

which histories have we taught ourselves
whose histories have we learned
which histories have we bought ourselves
whose histories have we burned

and which histories do I know
my time caught, earned as it goes
I wonder how much of the mystery
will we uncover, are we told
about the blisters of America
as the frictions unfold

and i wonder,
how must they have felt
how would we feel

how much am I responsible
can I help things to change
I am a member of my family
what does that mean

and how much are you responsible
can you help things to change
you are a member of this democracy
but what does that mean?

my great grandparents were immigrants
am I less to blame
how would I've thought differently
if my great grandparents had been slaves

why'd we kill Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King?
imagine John Lennon, killed for singing
why so many dreamers had to die?
why so many dreamers had to die?

were they too much like Marx
did they love the poor
were we afraid of their hope for changing the world
we were afraid of their hope of gaining control

and so we chose freedom

we chose Banzer we chose Pinochet
and ruled as the pueblo cried
we ruled as the pueblo died

and now we choose, everyday we choose
hot sex on a glorified screen
we choose dollars and cents, a for profit TV
and rule as our love subsides
rule as our neighbors try to survive

how much am I responsible
can I help things to change
I am a member of my family
what does that mean

and how much are you responsible
can you help things to change
you are a member of this democracy
but what does that mean?

--

http://www.colinmutchler.com

These lyrics are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/