Anti-war song meme

[eye_of_a_cat]

Ralph McTell, 'Peppers And Tomatoes'

This year in my garden, I grow peppers and tomatoes,
Peppers and tomatoes, they grow together well
And my neighbours all around me, they grow beans and potatoes,
Cabbages and onions, in this village where we dwell

And later in the year we will bring wine to the table
Bring wine to the table, and reap what we have sown
Like my father did before me and his father did before him,
And his father did before him, we will share what we have grown

From this little patch of dirt, this little pile of stones
I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
But this earth is in my bones.

Military vehicles are passing through our village,
Passing through our village, with young soldiers ill at ease
Unsmiling and unshaven, distrustful and uncertain,
Distrustful and uncertain, and all smoking constantly

And my neighbours say, don't worry, for you are one of us
You are one of us, and it will not happen here
But the next night at the cafe, when I bring wine to the table,
I bring wine to the table, they are sitting drinking beer

Last night the hand of friendship fell heavy on my shoulder
Heavy on my shoulder, as I turned away to go
As I said goodnight some old men, some old men and young soldiers
Were humming words and singing tunes to songs that I did not know

This little patch of dirt, this little pile of stones
I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
But this earth is in my bones.

This morning my wife told me that she'd been to church on Sunday,
Been to church on Sunday, she felt the need to pray
Our children were baptised there, but that was just to please the old ones,
Just to please the old ones, and I don't know what to say

Tonight as dark is falling, I am tending to my garden,
Tending to my garden, and the crops that I have grown
And my car is heavy laden, and soon I'll start the engine,
Soon I'll start the engine, wake the children, and be gone

My shotgun it is loaded, and it's hidden in the cabin,
Hidden in the cabin, and the evening's growing chill,
My mouth is dry, my hands are moist, and if someone tries to stop me,
Someone tries to stop me, I am ready now to kill

For this little patch of earth, this little pile of stones
I can wash the dust from off my clothes and skin,
But this earth is in my bones.

I am watering my garden, when I smell the cigarette smoke,
Smell the cigarette smoke, and I turn round in the dusk,
And I see the glint of rifles, but I cannot see the faces
But I recognise the voices that say "You must come with us."