Waking Up: Protest Songs for Today

(Scroll down for lyrics and guitar chords.)

There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie

written and performed by Jack DesBois

To the tune of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly"

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Waking Up

written and performed by Jack DesBois

This protest song is dedicated to all those who are defending our medical and health freedoms and living not by lies. Thank you for your courage!

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Biden Blues

written and performed by Jack DesBois

This song celebrates the 4th Worldwide Demonstration for Freedom, held on September 18th, 2021.

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Why Freedom Had to Die

written and performed by Jack DesBois

This song was inspired by a T-shirt at a Boston freedom rally.

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The Line

adapted and performed by Jack DesBois

This song is adapted from "The Gulag Archipelago," by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and Moses' speech to Israel, Deuteronomy 30:19.

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There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie
​Lyrics:

There was a free nation that swallowed a lie.
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation hid under the bed.
That’s what I said—hid under the bed!

They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that stood far apart.
Wasn’t that smart! They stood far apart!

They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that put on a mask.
Dare I ask? They put on a mask?

They put on the mask to stand closer together,
They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that took the jab.
How very drab—they took the jab.

They took the jab to get rid of the mask,
They put on the mask to stand closer together,
They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation put back on the mask.
Again, I ask—they put on a mask?

They put on the mask despite the jab,
They took the jab to get rid of the mask,
They put on the mask to stand closer together,
They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that took the booster.
Crow like a rooster—they took the booster!

They took the booster and kept the mask,
They put on the mask despite the jab,
They took the jab to get rid of the mask,
They put on the mask to stand closer together,
They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that gave up their rights.
Without a fight—they gave up their rights.

They gave up their rights when they took the booster,
They took the booster and kept the mask,
They put on the mask despite the jab,
They took the jab to get rid of the mask,
They put on the mask to stand closer together,
They stood far apart to get out from the bed,
They were under the bed to hide from the lie,
I don’t know why they swallowed that lie.
Perhaps they’ll die.

There was a free nation that gave in to force.
They’re dead, of course.

There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie
Guitar Chords:

D | --
A | --
A G | D

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Waking Up
​Lyrics:

I was lying in my bed,
Waiting for the day to start,
Waiting for the sun to get me on my way,
And I waited, and I waited,
And while I lay and waited,
That old sun, he set upon another day.
And through the curtains I could swear I heard him say:

Freedom doesn’t come in a can.
Liberty won’t lead you by the hand.
No lecture series guarantees the key to living life.
There’s no magic pill to make you make a stand.
Freedom doesn’t come in a can.

There’s a songbird in a cage
Who I met the other day,
And she sang a song I never heard before.
It was mellow, it was sweet,
It turned my head, and it tapped my feet,
And I asked how she could sing when she can’t soar.
How could song so rich resound in one so poor?

She told me:
Freedom doesn’t come in a can.
Liberty won’t lead you by the hand.
No lecture series guarantees the key to living life.
There’s no magic pill to make you understand.
Freedom doesn’t come in a can.

There’s a fellow, don’t ask WHO,
Likes to tell us what to do:
Close your mind, and leave the thinking up to Doc.
He’s much smarter than you and me;
Listen to him, he’ll set you free.
You won’t even hear the clicking of the lock.
Well, I listened, but it’s my turn now to talk.
​
And I say:
Freedom doesn’t come in a can.
Liberty won’t lead you by the hand.
No lecture series guarantees the key to living life.
There’s no magic pill to make you make a stand amid the strife.
No, no one else will write you out the plan.
Freedom doesn’t come,
Freedom doesn’t come in a can.

Waking Up
Guitar Chords:
(Capo 2)

Verse:
Am7 | G | F | C | -- | -- | G | --
Am7 | G | F | C | -- | G | C | --
-- | G | D | --

Refrain:
C | G | C | -- | -- | F | G | --
F | -- | C | Am | -- | -- | G | --
F | -- | ( -- | -- )
C | G | F | C | -- | G F | C | --

You can also add some sus4 chords here and there, or make up your own chords entirely.

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Biden Blues
Lyrics:

When I was just a kid,
I’d shout and I’d refuse.
My mama taught me, be polite,
Taught me the words to use:
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
I’d rather sing these no thank you blues.

(Refrain:)
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
I learned my manners well,
So I won’t tell
You where to go.
This trip you’re tripping on,
I don’t care to go.
So thank you, no,
No thank you, Joe,
No thank you, Joe.

Oh, Mr. President,
You seem a bit confused.
You seem to think that it’s your job
To tell me what to do.
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
My conscience does a better job than you.

My mama taught me never
Take candy from a man
Who says he wants to keep me safe
And hold me by the hand.
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
There’s no way I’m taking candy from your hand.

(Refrain)

You say it’s not about
Our freedom or our choice.
You demonize each one of us
Who dares to use his voice.
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
It’s my freedom, it’s my choice, and it’s my voice.

You say what am I waiting for,
The evidence is clear.
I’m not waiting, Joe, I know my mind:
I’ve chosen not to fear.
No thank you, Joe; no thank you, Joe.
I’ve done my research and it’s clear, no need to fear.

(Refrain x2)

Biden Blues
Guitar Chords:

Verse:
G7 | G | G7 | G
G7 | G | G7 | G
C | -- | G | --
D7 | C | G | --

Refrain:
C | -- | G | --
D | C | G | --
C | -- | G | Em
D7 | C | G | --

Feel free to use C7 chords instead of C, or throw these out the window and come up with your own.

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Why Freedom Had to Die
Lyrics:

You may be wondering why
Freedom had to die.
You may be wondering why
Freedom had to die.
If you were wondering why
Freedom had to die,
Here's why:

The protected
Need to be protected
From the unprotected
By forcing the unprotected
To get the protection
That didn't protect
The protected.

One more time:
The protected
Need to be protected
From the unprotected
By forcing the unprotected
To get the protection
That didn't protect
The protected.

So if you're wondering why
Freedom had to die,
If you were wondering why
Freedom had to die,
If you were wondering why
Freedom had to die,
That's why.

Why Freedom Had to Die
Guitar Chords:

Verse:
D | G | A | --
D | G | A | --
D | G | A | --
D | G | A

D | G | A
D | G | A | D

D | G | A
D | G | A | D

D | G | A | --
D | G | A | --
D | G | A | --
D | G | D

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The Line
Lyrics:

The line separating good and evil
Passes not through states,
But through the heart,
Right through the heart,
Through every human heart,
And through all human hearts.
Choose good, Choose good, Choose good.

The line between light and darkness,
Between truth and lying,
Between God and mammon,
Between life and dying
Passes not between classes,
Nor between political parties,
But right through every human heart,
And through all human hearts.
Choose truth, Choose truth, Choose truth.

The line separating good and evil
Passes not through states,
But through the heart,
Right through the heart,
Through every human heart,
And through all human hearts.
Choose life, Choose life--

Heaven and earth are witnesses
To this our choice:
Choose life!

The Line
Guitar Chords:
(Capo 2 on strings 1-5; no capo on string 6)

D | --
-- | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | D | --
-- | -- | -- | --
-- | --

-- | C | G
C | G
D | --
C | D
-- | --
-- | C
F | F
C | D
-- | C | D | --
-- | -- | -- | --
-- | --

-- | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | G | --
D | C | --

F | -- | C | --
D

At the beginning, I play an A (actually B with the capo) on the 1st string so that the D chord has no F#, for an "open fifths" sound. In the instrumental interludes, I fiddle around with Dsus2 and Dsus4 chords.