Eco-Punk Songs and Chants of the Latter Twentieth Century

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Hidden away in the trees of the forest, the alleys of the city, and in the protest rallies against environmental destruction dwells the Eco-punk. He or she is part of a newly emerging subculture of environmentally-minded radicals whose fiery activist spirit is stoked with subversion and rebellion. Like the punks of the 1970s and 80s, this new breed of rebel sees a bleak future ahead, but rather than accept the present's demise they work towards its betterment.

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From the Mind to the Mouth: Eco-punk Songs and Chants of the Latter Twentieth Century Eric Henson Prof. Wojcik Folklore 412 --Folklore of Subcultures-June 3, 1999 Hidden away in the trees of the forest, the alleys of the city, and in the protest rallies against environmental destruction dwells the Eco-punk. He or she is part of a newly emerging subculture of environmentally-minded radicals whose fiery activist spirit is stoked with subversion and rebellion. Like the punks of the 1970s and 80s, this new breed of rebel sees a bleak future ahead, but rather than accept the present's demise they work towards its betterment. I have chosen the eco-punk movement as a field of study because it both contradicts and supports the ideological values upon which punk was founded. Eco-punks seem to be the modern answer to the problems of our contemporary American society: the capitalistic corporate raping of the world's people and land, the imbalance of wealth in America's hierarchical class system, the government's theft of rights and land from indigenous cultures, the unwarranted pollution and destruction incurred upon the environment, society's ever-growing reliance on technology, the wrongful imprisonment of political prisoners, the vivisection of the world's animals, and the blind-eye to truth through which dominant American society teaches its members to see. In order to better understand the nature of eco-punk ideology, I have chosen to study the songs and chants of protest that have been cultivated within the subculture. Through these lyrics I hope to establish a connection between modern eco-punks and both their punk and activist forefathers. I also intend to explain how these lyrics also reinforce eco-punk ideology, create a greater sense of community, strength, and solidarity between punks, assist eco-punk activists to share their opinions as a collective to others, and to describe how they function as a methodology through which ecopunks may share the truth to those whom society has blinded with lies. I also aim to show how ecopunk protest songs and chants manipulate and subvert American traditions of the past, while continuing to uphold the revolutionary rebellious spirit upon which our country was founded. As a folkloric medium, these lyrics both symbolize and represent the eco-punk subculture from the inside out, and make it possible to discover the true agenda of America's modern-day radicals. Punk music, style, aesthetics, and politics erupted out of a new kind of rock and roll that swept England and America in the mid-1970s. Punk music first crystallized in 1976 as a musical alternative to both disco and motown that could better define the proletariat in both British and America societies. In her book, Break All Rules: Punk Rock and the Making of a Style, Tricia Henry states: British bands developed a new and distinct sound and together with their fans created an ambiance for their music that soon grew into a dynamic and unique subculture...In the mid-1970s, Great Britain was suffering from one of the highest unemployment rates the country has seen since World War II, and a steadily rising cost of living exacerbated a mood of unrest and discontent among working class people forced to struggle for the basic necessities of existence. For the large number of people on welfare--or "the dole," as it is known in Great Britain--especially young people, the outlook for bettering their lot in life seemed bleak. (p. ix) This perspective on society was adapted to fit the musical desires of the nation, thus creating an entirely different realm of rock and roll with a completely oppositional ideology. The music of bands and artists such as the Sex Pistols, The Velvet Underground, MC5, and later Patti Smith, The

Ramones, and others, spoke for the underclass like no other contemporary music could. Henry says of punk rock's essence, "It is a reaction against established theories and techniques of art, as well as against the society that produces them....Like members of earlier avant-garde movements they were antibourgeois and anticapitalist." (p. 1). Punk style also worked to exhibit the underclass' rejection of mainstream culture. Clothing worn by members of the movement was heavily influenced by society's dark tendency towards sadomasochism. Fans belligerently wore chains, spikes, and leather, as well as painted their faces and wore black lipstick and fingernail polish. For punks, fashion of this sort illustrated an in-your-face attitude to dominant society; punk style pushed society's dark sexual secrets into the face of the nation, thus subverting society's attempt to keep its dark side hidden. Likewise, eco-punk fashion and style is based upon the same premise: to subvert. On the other hand, most eco-punks typically refrain from using makeup to accomplish this goal, but otherwise wear clothing similar to regular punks. The aforementioned counter-cultural ideals held by punks further reinforced their nonmainstream fashion and aesthetic style. The two main ideals held by the punk movement are "no future" and "do it yourself." The expression "no future" comes from the phrase "no future for me" as it was first used in the Sex Pistols song, "God Save the Queen." This phrase basically sums up the punk attitude that the future will be as bleak as the present and past. Eco-punks have also adapted this phrase into their ideological value system, but used it in a more positive manner; rather than expecting a poor life and world ahead, eco-punks strive to improve their environmental and political surroundings through activism and cultural subversion. "Do it yourself" is another punk ideal which speaks for itself. This attitude declares that punks need to take the initiative for change upon themselves. Another self-explanatory corollary to this slogan is "think for yourself." The eco-punk lifestyle thrives upon these ideals and uses them as the basis for their political and environmental activism. In conjunction with these two main ideals, eco-punks have also added a third tenet to their lifestyle: "mending is better than ending." This notion extends the length and breadth of the eco-punk movement. Based upon the concept of recycling, "mending is better than ending" signifies the ecopunk desire to create less and reuse more. In terms of eco-punk fashion, this means that it is better to patch a hole on a pair of jeans rather than have them take up space in a landfill somewhere. A few eco-punks have taken this ideal to an extreme in their fashion, whereas a few wear clothing that has been reconstructed so many times that the original garment has evolved into a network of patches. This ideal also extends to eco-punk activism, whereas it is better to salvage the earth's remaining undeveloped land rather than let it be destroyed and changed into suburban housing projects or logged for profit. In essence, this ideal is an extension of the eco-punk philosophy that it is necessary to act now to preserve our future for both ourselves and our children. From these three basic tenets, eco-punks have developed an ideological system which rejects: environmental destruction in any form, corporate control and capitalism, governmental control and regulation of indigenous people's lives and land, right-wing politics, a culture and social class system with a hierarchy based upon wealth, oppressors of free speech, practitioners of vivisection, and various other people and institutions whose motivation is greed and the oppression of others. In order to combat actions of this sort, eco-punks (unlike most punks) take an activist stance towards changing things. Rather than sit idly by and listen to punk music, as most regular punks do, ecopunks actively promote their ideology. One of the manifestations of this is the public demonstration or protest. During these protests, eco-punks hold signs, sing songs, shout chants, and listen to informational guest speakers, as well as a variety of other actions intended to spread eco-punk ideology to noneco-punks in their communities. Integral to these protests are the songs and chants, for it is through

eco-punks' lyrics that their ideology is directly presented to those who would otherwise refuse to read their signs. The songs and chants are able to reach everybody who can hear them; although someone can easily shut their eyes, it is more difficult for them to shut their ears. Correspondingly, eco-punk songs and chants come from many different sources--some from activist individuals and some from activist organizations. Protest songs and chants, aside from getting the eco-punk message out to the community, serve other purposes: strengthening the movement from the inside, building a sense of community and solidarity between the protesters, reinforcing the ideals of the group, and others. There are many songs written simply for this purpose. A song by Casey Neill, an eco-punk lyricist, was written especially for reinforcing solidarity between protesters during the Critical Mass Bike rides (demonstrations where people take the streets back from the automobiles with neo-luddite intentions): If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" Well, tell them it started here in my heart. It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, And my faith will bear my spirit home. If anyone should ask you, "Which side are you on?" Well if anyone should ask you "Hey, which side are you on?" If anyone should ask you, "Which side are you on?" Well, tell them it doesn't matter--this time it's everyone It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, And my faith will bear my spirit home. These words are intended to provoke the energy needed to carry out a successful protest, meaning a demonstration where the protesters have enough drive to spread their opinions. The third stanza of this song further reinforces the fact that the eco-punk subculture is trying to better the world for everyone, not just themselves. By asking the protesters and the listeners of the protest to concede that "this time it's everyone," Neill is acknowledging that the duty to stop the destruction and pollution of the earth (in this scenario, as a result of automobiles and road construction) is an obligation that everyone has to each other if the goal is ever to be reached. Another song often used by eco-punks that is intended to create a sense of community comes from an organization known as the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Also known as the Wobblies, the IWW is based upon the concept of the worker's union. In unions, workers are strong, and through songs such as "Solidarity Forever," the power of the group (versus the power of the individual) is promoted. The first verse (of approximately ten on record) in this song directly addresses the necessity to organize, as there is power in numbers: When the union's inspiration through the workers bloodshed won, There can be no greater power anywhere beneath the sun, What force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?

But our union makes us strong! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! 'Cause our union makes us strong! These lyrics, sung to the tune of the "John Brown's Body" eloquently addresses the need for people to organize themselves in order for their words to have the greatest power possible. The reader should also note that "John Brown's Body" was a protest song written to promote abolition during the civil war. Aside from "Solidarity Forever," the songs "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "His Truth is Marching On" were also written according to the same tune; and are likewise protest songs responding to issues of concern (in this case, the atrocities of war and the end of the world, respectively). As a subculturally-derived tune, "John Brown's Body" continues to be reused by various subculture in order to promote their value systems and concerns. A chant, written by a Cascadia Forest Defender named Akasha, further relates the need for the working class to organize themselves into unions so that things may be changed for the better: Take the day off and organize! Take the day off and organize! Take the day off and organize! Although extremely simple, like most chants, these lyrics stress the fact that people need to be willing to sacrifice things in their personal lives (work in this case) in order to make the lives of everyone better. Protest songs and chants address many topics besides the need to organize and the reinforcement of solidarity, as there are many issues against and for which eco-punks fight. As the name eco-punk connotes, first and foremost of these is the preservation of world's ecology and natural environment. Through their public protests, tree-sits, and direct actions (environmental sabotage), eco-punks strive to create a future where people are able to co-exist with nature as opposed to destroy it. Their enemy: corporations who develop the earth's remaining untouched land, the loggers who perform their work, and the government agencies who sanction corporate environmental destruction. Typically people in any and all of these occupations are referred to as "FREDS"--an anachronism that stands for "Federally Regulated Environmental Destroyers." "FREDS" also is used to specifically refer to members of the Forest Service who, backed by corporate dollars and capitalistic governmental legislation, attempt to stop tree-sits and end environmental protests. An untitled eco-punk chant, performed by an informant named Trillium at the Fall Creek Tree-sit, speaks out against governmentally sanctioned tree cutting: F.R.E.D.S. With the badge on their chest, They're here to oppress This ancient forest. These FREDs are armed and dangerous, The boys in green, Pull your climbing line up Or they'll cut down your tree. Their excuse is forest maintenance, Their tool is the saw,

The time to act is now, Don't let the FREDs make the law! This chant not only reinforces eco-punks' stance against environmental destruction, but also reminds eco-punks that environmental protests (in situations such as tree-sits) are illegal and that they must remain mindful of this unless they seek imprisonment. The judicial power behind the "FREDS" is illustrated in this song through the second verse: "These FREDS are armed and dangerous." Furthermore, the necessity for environmental protesters to always remain prepared for the "FREDS" to visit and attempt to end their protests is further illustrated in the second verse: "Pull your climbing line up / Or they'll cut down you're tree." This phrase is the golden rule of a tree-sit that is invaded by "FREDS," If a protester is able to come down from the platform atop a tree they must, and as a result, have the tree be logged. Eco-punks' loyalty to the environment and its protection is also portrayed in many other chants. A simpler chant often shouted at rallies is based upon the eco-punk willingness to continue fighting for their beliefs, even when they continually lose to environmental destroyers: They clear-cut, we treespike! They clear-cut, we treespike! Treespiking is an act of monkeywrenching, or in other words, a practice designed to make the cutting of trees by loggers impossible. By inserting metal spikes into trees near their base (where the logger traditionally inserts their chainsaw), the trees become impossible to log without endangering the life of the logger--upon striking the treespike, the chainsaw is bounced back towards the logger's body. This chant alludes to the equal distribution of power amongst eco-punks and loggers, as each have tools capable of harming the other. The chant also shows the "never give up in the face of adversity" approach used by eco-punks in order to maintain their activism. Part of eco-punk attitude towards the environment stems from humankind's symbiotic relationship with it. As humans are born from the earth, and rely upon the resources of the earth to live, humankind's dependence on the earth is likewise acknowledged by the eco-punk mentality. In a chant sung by eco-punks protesting nuclear testing and waste dumping by the government's Department of Energy on Shoshone tribal land, this connection is excellently portrayed: Air my breath, Fire my spirit, Earth my body, Water my blood. Air, Fire, Earth, and Water are known to be the four elements that comprise life on this planet--a concept first introduced by the native cultures of America. In this chant, the earth and the human body are promoted as being of a single essence. Through these four simple lines, eco-punk activism is shown to be based upon the desire to save oneself as well as one's surroundings since they are comprised of the same elements. The eco-punk attitude to the environment includes not only nature, but the animals living in nature. As time has passed, many species once abundant on this planet are now on the brink of extinction because of hunting and other methods of extermination. Since animals are as natural to the world as old-growth forests, eco-punks often fight for animal rights alongside their fight to preserve the fauna also nearing extinction. "Flaming Arrow," another eco-punk song written by Casey Neill, asserts the eco-punk desire to liberate animals from the control of humans:

The coyote lifts her head and the deer's ears are pricked Over the forests and the cities and the plains. Our brothers caught in the trap they set, Oh do you know his name? The defenders of the leviathan from the sting of the harpoon, Friend of the wild fox hunted by the red cocoons, To the children of earth they strike their blows, But they cannot stop these wild seeds to grow. We are howling out of the cages, In the arms of eternity my soul enrages. My heart is crying, my spirit is on fire, I've unleashed my demons and armed my desire. Aim high, Air true I shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you With a bullet and a bible, they came for the tribes, Fighting to keep their traditions alive, Trying to keep the young ones off drugs and alcohol, Their mission franchise children with their backs up against the wall backs up against the wall. Cry freedom for the lynx. Cry freedom for the minks. Cry freedom for the wild ones driven to the brink. For this we will fight until they cease, Until all the animals and political prisoners have been released. We are howling out of the cages, In the arms of eternity my soul enrages. My heart is crying, my spirit is on fire, I've unleashed my demons and armed my desire. Aim high, Air true I shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you This song incites activism through its portrayal of a war between animal rights activists and animal oppressors. The flaming arrows being shot are symbolic of the chant itself, as well as the direct action protests that result from the energy created by the song's refrain. It is equally important to note that the issues of indigenous people's rights and political prisoner's wrongful imprisonment are also addressed in this song. The first two lines of the fifth stanza and the last line of the sixth stanza draw the connection between the extinction of animals and the extinction of native culture and free speech in America. These two issues are also of great concern to the ecopunk movement, though are rarely addressed.

While most regular punks are often disinterested in the preservation of the environment, animal rights, or the preservation of indigenous cultures, they (like their eco-punk sisters and brothers) do care about the dissolution of governmental systems. With an ideology based upon anarchistic thinking, both regular punks and eco-punks strive to end governmental control. One very antigovernment song used during protests uses the symbolism of flag burning to represent eco-punk and regular punk values: Late last night, when you were home in bed, A revolutionary took a lighter to the flag, When the cops knocked her over, she winked her eye and said: It'll be a hot time, in your town tonight! Fire! Fire! Fire! Higher! Higher! Higher! Halt Pigs! Eat Shit! Burn, Baby, Burn! Sung to the tune of the American traditional song known as "The Chicago Fire Song" (about the fire that destroyed most of Chicago, Illinois, in 1871), this eco-punk rendition subverts American cultural tradition while promoting eco-punks' anarchistic views. The brutality and conceptualization of the police, as stated in line 2 and in the expression "Halt Pigs!", incorporated into this song further illustrates eco-punk disdain for governmental control. Of course, rather than have a government with little control, eco-punks believe that no government is good government. A chant that originated in England describes this belief eloquently: The left, the right, They're all a pile of shite! Anarchy is based upon the premise that no politics are good politics, and as we can see in this chant, eco-punks reinforce their belief that both left-wing and right-wing politics are equally based upon faulty thinking. Most of eco-punks' disagreement from American government stems from our society's capitalistic economic system. As our culture has evolved, it has become ever more driven by greed. Our modern hierarchical class system is based upon wealth, and thus punks (who are most often products of the lower class) have a considerable dislike for capitalism as a result of their social position. This sentiment is also integral to understanding eco-punk protest songs and their view of society and the world. "Dumpster Diving Forever" (also put to the tune of "John Brown's Body") is a song which perfectly articulates eco-punks' attempt to co-exist with the upper-class while refuting society's ideology based upon greed: Is there all we have in common with the greedy parasites Besides that we eat out of his dumpsters every night? Is there anything left for us? Open the lid and take a bite, For the donuts make us strong! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! For the donuts make us strong!

They have wasted untold millions and they waste more everyday. While the workers keep producing, they keep throwing it away. But the fregans are uniting and we vow to never pay. For the donuts make us strong! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! For the donuts make us strong! We may be industry dependent hypocritical leeches! So while they're working to buy careb organic wheat-free brownies, we'll be swimming in the beaches. Then when consumerism dies, we'll be making fregan speeches, For the donuts make us strong! In these lyrics, eco-punks identify themselves as "fregan" in a comparison to the upper-class. The term "fregan" is a contraction stemming from the words "freak" and "vegan." Rather than refer to themselves as eco-punks (besides the need to fit the rhyme scheme), the term fregan is used sarcastically, as members of dominant culture often call those who do not live according to dominant ideals "freaks." "Vegan", as a term denoting one who does not eat anything made with meat or meat by-products, further reinforces the eco-punk subculture's belief about animals and their right to exist (in nature, not on dinner plates). This song draws many other comparisons between eco-punks and the wealthy. America's upperclass, being mainly comprised of corporate executives and heirs to deceased rich family members, often fail to recycle or reuse what they own because their money allows them to replace (rather than mend) that which they break or use. In this song, thrown away donuts are the symbol of typical upper-class consumerism. However, this song refutes values such as those possessed by the upperclass, and draws an inverse between the two cultures; what the wealthy discard, the eco-punks use as the driving force behind their protesting. Conversely, while refuting these values, the first line of the song's last stanza acknowledges the balance between the upper and lower classes of society: "We may be industry dependent hypocritical leeches." While eco-punks occasionally scour dumpsters looking for their meals, this line acknowledges that without the upper-class' waste ecopunks would have nothing to eat. Of course, this still does not refute the main goal of the song: to counter the products of greed that characterize America's upper class. Another Wobbly (IWW) chant that is often used by eco-punks also supports the eco-punk perception of society's economic hierarchy: Oh conditions they are bad And some of us are mad. We still don't see the enemy, The class that lives in luxury, You Working people are poor, And will be forever more As long as you allow the few to guide your destiny! Shall we be slaves and work for wages? It is outrageous! Has been for ages! This world by rights belongs to toilers,

And not the spoilers Of liberty. This song explicitly addresses the large gap between America's rich and poor. By drawing upon the image of the American proletariat unable to see their enemy (their boss' boss or corporate CEO), but who continue to work for meager wages in order to stay alive and support their family, this song reinforces the true driving force behind America's companies: the working-class who are often paid poorly for their labor. As stated in the last three lines of the song, this nation was founded upon the hard labor by the hands of the economically average person. While corporate executives, and even lower-level managers, rarely metaphorically put their hands in the dirt, they are the people who are paid the highest wages, and comprise a minority in American society. This song is intended to protest the unfair balance of wealth, as those who toil the hardest often are paid the least. A few chants are also used by eco-punks to describe the lower-class' contempt for the upper-class. While they may be considered less eloquent (as a result of less deductive reasoning), some chants nonetheless explicitly address our country's imbalance of wealth, such as this chant which originated in England: The rich, the rich, We've got to get rid of the rich. Unlike many songs, this chant directly addresses society's need to dissolve the imbalance of wealth (as exhibited by the rich) in order for equality and a true balance of political, social, and economic power to exist. While in the same vein, other eco-punk protest chants concerning this issue take a more radical approach towards change: Kill the rich, arm the poor Social justice is civil war Stick to your story, you'll never get caught Rob the rich, break stuff up! This particular chant is meant to incite direct action through its words, as told to me by my informant. Rather than be used to convince someone that economic social reform is necessary in order to establish a true balance of power at an event like a political rally, this chant is more often used during tree-sit direct actions as the motivation for those working on the projects of the day. As a method through which eco-punks can assert their value system and spread the eco-punk ideology to those unaware, protest songs and chants are part of the means that lead to the end of governmental control, capitalistic consumerism and class structure, and the destruction of the environment. While also meant to establish a sense of community between singers and shouters, these lyrics also are a mechanism that allows eco-punks to reinforce their own beliefs and simultaneously instill the energy needed to combat America's mainstream cultural ideals. They simultaneously subvert the dominant paradigm and strengthen the bonds between eco-punks and others who think along similar lines. As a symbol of activism, protest songs and chants illustrate the ideals, intentions, and dreams of one of America's largest emerging subcultures: the eco-punk movement. Author's note: All of these songs and chants were tape recorded live on various dates and in various situations. Most of these came from the mouths of people occupying the Fall Creek tree-sit (near Eugene, Oregon), however, a few were related to the me during personal interviews and the remaining were

noted during protest demonstrations that I attended. A tape recording of these songs and chants will also be made available for listening through the folklore archives at the University of Oregon. There have yet to be any similar studies of this kind, and none of these songs came from books, magazines, or other printed publications. An appendix has been added to this study in order to include the protest songs that either did not correlate to the topic areas addressed, or were excluded due to space limitations.

Works, Observations, Interviews Cited and Consulted Akasha (Cascadia Forest Defender). Personal Interview. 29 May. 1999. Brecke, Leif. Telephone Interview. 21 April. 1999. Henry, Tricia. Break All Rules: Punk Rock and the Making of a Style. London: UMI Press, 1989. Healing Global Wounds Mother's Day Protest. Nevada Test Site, Mercury, Nevada. 5 Kenyon, Tom. Personal Interview. 24 April. 1999. May Day Forest Rally. Federal Building, Eugene, Oregon. 1 May. 1999. McCain, Gillian, and McNeil, Legs. Please Kill Me: the Uncensored Oral History of Punk. York: Grove Press, 1996. Millions for Mumia (Abu-Jamal) Protest March. Federal Building and Streets of Eugene, Oregon. 24 April. 1999. Shard (Cascadia Forest Defender). Personal Interview. 29 May. 1999. Trillium (Cascadia Forest Defender). Personal Interview. 29 May. 1999. Unnamed Informant #1 (Cascadia Forest Defender). Personal Interview. 29 May. 1999. Unnamed Informant #2 (Cascadia Forest Defender). Personal Interview. 29 May. 1999. Wood, Saxon. Personal Interview. 14 May. 1999. New Research May. 1999.

Appendix Informant: Akasha "untitled" Lyrics and tune by Casey Neill If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" If anyone should ask you, "How did this movement start?" Well, tell them it started here in my heart. It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, And my faith will bear my spirit home. If anyone should ask you, "Which side are you on?" Well if anyone should ask you "Hey, which side are you on?" If anyone should ask you, "Which side are you on?" Well, tell them it doesn't matter--this time it's everyone It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, It rose, it rose, it rose from the dead, And my faith will bear my spirit home. "untitled" Tune by Grace Slick (of the Jefferson Airplane) We are agents of chaos and anarchy Everything they say we are we are And we are very proud of ourselves Up against the wall! Up against the wall! Motherfucker tear down the wall! Tear down the wall! "Flaming Arrow" Lyrics and tune by Casey Neill The coyote lifts her head and the deer's ears are pricked Over the forests and the cities and the plains. Our brothers caught in the trap they set, Oh do you know his name? The defenders of the leviathan from the sting of the harpoon, Friend of the wild fox hunted by the red cocoons, To the children of earth they strike their blows, But they cannot stop these wild seeds to grow. We are howling out of the cages,

In the arms of eternity my soul enrages. My heart is crying, my spirit is on fire, I've unleashed my demons and armed my desire. Aim high, Air true I shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you With a bullet and a bible, they came for the tribes, Fighting to keep their traditions alive, Trying to keep the young ones off drugs and alcohol, Their mission franchise children with their backs up against the wall backs up against the wall. Cry freedom for the lynx. Cry freedom for the minks. Cry freedom for the wild ones driven to the brink. For this we will fight until they cease, Until all the animals and political prisoners have been released. We are howling out of the cages, In the arms of eternity my soul enrages. My heart is crying, my spirit is on fire, I've unleashed my demons and armed my desire. Aim high, Air true I shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you I-----------shoot these flaming arrows for you "untitled" IWW (Wobbly) chant Oh conditions they are bad And some of us are mad. We still don't see the enemy, The class that lives in luxury, You Working people are poor, And will be forever more As long as you allow the few to guide your destiny! Shall we be slaves and work for wages? It is outrageous! Has been for ages! This world by rights belongs to toilers, And not the spoilers Of liberty. "Solidarity Forever"--First Verse and Refrain IWW (Wobbly) song

When the union's inspiration through the workers bloodshed won, There can be no greater power anywhere beneath the sun, What force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one? But our union makes us strong! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! 'Cause our union makes us strong! "untitled" Lyrics possibly by Joe Hill The preachers come out every night Try and tell you what's not wrong and what's right But when you ask them for something to eat They will answer in voices so sweet: You will eat, by and by In the glorious land in the sky Kneel and pray, live on hay There will be pie in the sky when you die, It's a lie! "untitled" Lyrics by Akasha Take the day off and organize! Take the day off and organize! Take the day off and organize! "untitled" They clear-cut, we treespike! They clear-cut, we treespike! "untitled" Fall creek, Fall creek! The forest service is weak! "untitled" Kill the rich, arm the poor Social justice is civil war Stick to your story, you'll never get caught Rob the rich, break stuff up! Informant: Trillum "untitled"

F.R.E.D.S. With the badge on their chest, They're here to oppress This ancient forest. These FREDs are armed and dangerous, The boys in green, Pull your climbing line up Or they'll cut down your tree. Their excuse is forest maintenance, Their tool is the saw, The time to act is now, Don't let the FREDs make the law! "untitled" Green and Black, We're gonna take it back!

Informant: Unnamed Informant #1 "untitled" Late last night, when you were home in bed, A revolutionary took a lighter to the flag, When the cops knocked her over, she winked her eye and said: It'll be a hot time, in your town tonight! Fire! Fire! Fire! Higher! Higher! Higher! Halt Pigs! Eat Shit! Burn, Baby, Burn! Informant: Unnamed Informant #2 "Dumpster Diving Forever" Traditional Is there all we have in common with the greedy parasites Besides that we eat out of his dumpsters every night? Is there anything left for us? Open the lid and take a bite, For the donuts make us strong! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! For the donuts make us strong!

They have wasted untold millions and they waste more everyday. While the workers keep producing, they keep throwing it away. But the fregans are uniting and we vow to never pay. For the donuts make us strong! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! Dumpster Diving Forever! For the donuts make us strong! We may be industry dependent hypocritical leeches! So while they're working to buy careb organic wheat-free brownies, we'll be swimming in the beaches. Then when consumerism dies, we'll be making fregan speeches, For the donuts make us strong! Informant: Shard "untitled" Out on the street and it won't be long What will it say on your epitaph? Corporate Parasites, How do you sleep at night? Don't you know our silence is your only bite Fly around the world in your jets It's so easy for you to forget Your wealth it comes from other's hands Robbing the worker and raping the land Truth and justice go round Bucking the system down We will not bow down We will not be afraid We are strong, Beware the choice is made All around sea's despair Yet we've heroes everywhere You live your lives as though you're safe While you're surrounded by our hate Faith then will resound Bucking the system down Down, Down, Down "untitled" There's a river running underground

That flows along this place That takes my body when I laid it down And carried it far away It's too dark for you to see Though I did not protest You can't have me, you can't take me But you can keep the rest Someone asleep the sickle sweeps Though I did not protest The eagle screams with five frightened wings But you can keep the rest Informant: Eric Henson "untitled" Air my breath, Fire my spirit, Earth my body, Water my blood. Informant: Saxon "untitled" The left, the right, They're all a pile of shite! "untitled" The rich, the rich, We've got to get rid of the rich.