Road To Peace

hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
edited November 2006 in A Moving Train
I'm completely captivated by the new Tom Waits album, and this song ... wow ...

Young Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay) was only 18 years old,
He was the youngest of nine children, never spent a night away from home.
And his mother held his photograph, opening the New York Times
To see the killing has intensified along the road to peace

There was a tall, thin boy with a whispy moustache disguised as an orthodox Jew
On a crowded bus in Jerusalem, some had survived World War Two
And the thunderous explosion blew out windows 200 yards away
With more retribution and seventeen dead along the road to peace

Now at King George Ave and Jaffa Road passengers boarded bus 14a
In the aisle next to the driver Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
And the last thing that he said on earth is "God is great and God is good"
And he blew them all to kingdom come upon the road to peace

Now in response to this another kiss of death was visited upon
Yasser Taha, Israel says is an Hamas senior militant
And Israel sent four choppers in, flames engulfed, tears wide open
And it killed his wife and his three year old child leaving only blackened skeletons

It's found his toddlers bottle and a pair of small shoes and they waved them in front of the cameras
But Israel says they did not know that his wife and child were in the car
There are roadblocks everywhere and only suffering on TV
Neither side will ever give up their smallest right along the road to peace

Israel launched it's latest campaign against Hamas on Tuesday
Two days later Hamas shot back and killed five Israeli soldiers
So thousands dead and wounded on both sides most of them middle eastern civilians
They fill the children full of hate to fight an old man's war and die upon the road to peace

"And this is our land we will fight with all our force" say the Palastinians and the Jews
Each side will cut off the hand of anyone who tries to stop the resistance
If the right eye offends thee then you must pluck it out
And Mahmoud Abbas said Sharon had been lost out along the road to peace

Once Kissinger said "we have no friends, America only has interests"
Now our president wants to be seen as a hero and he's hungry for re-election
But Bush is reluctant to risk his future in the fear of his political failures
So he plays chess at his desk and poses for the press 10,000 miles from the road to peace

In the video that they found at the home of Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
He held a Kalashnikov rifle and he spoke with a voice like a boy
He was an excellent student, he studied so hard, it was as if he had a future
He told his mother that he had a test that day out along the road to peace

The fundamentalist killing on both sides is standing in the path of peace
But tell me why are we arming the Israeli army with guns and tanks and bullets?
And if God is great and God is good why can't he change the hearts of men?
Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
Maybe God himself is lost and needs help
He's out upon the road to peace

Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
And he's lost upon the road to peace
And he's lost upon the road to peace
Out upon the road to peace.
"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • AhnimusAhnimus Posts: 10,560
    Herecy! It implies God is fallable!

    Seriously though, I like the lyrics, it's a good middle viewpoint of the conflict.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    I like that he chose the road to peace idea. I wish he would have taken it a little further. When I first heard the song I had the feeling he was going to take me behind the eyes of those killing and being killed, and then follow through. In a way, it tries. As a message song, it's certainly current and I have no knocks against it.

    all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
    except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    Beautiful song, and a great collection of discs.

    Did you catch him on the Daily Show last night? If you missed it, it will be on again at 8/7 central tonight. It was a good interview. The episode's "Moment of Zen" was Tom playing "the Day After Tomorrow" (though the bastards cut off the last 20 or 30 seconds).

    There's just something about the guy. I want to buy him a cup of coffee.
  • hippiemom wrote:
    I'm completely captivated by the new Tom Waits album, and this song ... wow ...

    Young Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay) was only 18 years old,
    He was the youngest of nine children, never spent a night away from home.
    And his mother held his photograph, opening the New York Times
    To see the killing has intensified along the road to peace

    There was a tall, thin boy with a whispy moustache disguised as an orthodox Jew
    On a crowded bus in Jerusalem, some had survived World War Two
    And the thunderous explosion blew out windows 200 yards away
    With more retribution and seventeen dead along the road to peace

    Now at King George Ave and Jaffa Road passengers boarded bus 14a
    In the aisle next to the driver Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
    And the last thing that he said on earth is "God is great and God is good"
    And he blew them all to kingdom come upon the road to peace

    Now in response to this another kiss of death was visited upon
    Yasser Taha, Israel says is an Hamas senior militant
    And Israel sent four choppers in, flames engulfed, tears wide open
    And it killed his wife and his three year old child leaving only blackened skeletons

    It's found his toddlers bottle and a pair of small shoes and they waved them in front of the cameras
    But Israel says they did not know that his wife and child were in the car
    There are roadblocks everywhere and only suffering on TV
    Neither side will ever give up their smallest right along the road to peace

    Israel launched it's latest campaign against Hamas on Tuesday
    Two days later Hamas shot back and killed five Israeli soldiers
    So thousands dead and wounded on both sides most of them middle eastern civilians
    They fill the children full of hate to fight an old man's war and die upon the road to peace

    "And this is our land we will fight with all our force" say the Palastinians and the Jews
    Each side will cut off the hand of anyone who tries to stop the resistance
    If the right eye offends thee then you must pluck it out
    And Mahmoud Abbas said Sharon had been lost out along the road to peace

    Once Kissinger said "we have no friends, America only has interests"
    Now our president wants to be seen as a hero and he's hungry for re-election
    But Bush is reluctant to risk his future in the fear of his political failures
    So he plays chess at his desk and poses for the press 10,000 miles from the road to peace

    In the video that they found at the home of Abdel Mahdi (Shahmay)
    He held a Kalashnikov rifle and he spoke with a voice like a boy
    He was an excellent student, he studied so hard, it was as if he had a future
    He told his mother that he had a test that day out along the road to peace

    The fundamentalist killing on both sides is standing in the path of peace
    But tell me why are we arming the Israeli army with guns and tanks and bullets?
    And if God is great and God is good why can't he change the hearts of men?
    Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
    Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
    Maybe God himself is lost and needs help
    He's out upon the road to peace

    Well maybe God himself is lost and needs help
    Maybe God himself he needs all of our help
    And he's lost upon the road to peace
    And he's lost upon the road to peace
    Out upon the road to peace.
    this to me look's like some atheist bullcrap tryin to give people opinion's.

    Seriosely,i have no problem's with people's opinion's,like with Iraq an shit.but i jus cant understand y people support the palastinein's. WAKE THE FUCK UP they r a bunch of terrorrist's who want to destroy Israel and America.


    look's like a lame ass song anyway. whatever happend to good ole rock and roll!i aint never heard of tom waites,sound's like another whiny jackass anyhow
    I’d thank my lucky stars,
    to be livin here today.
    ‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
    and they can’t take that away.

    And I’m proud to be an American,
    where at least I know I’m free.
    And I wont forget the men who died,
    who gave that right to me.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    Dino283 wrote:
    this to me look's like some atheist bullcrap tryin to give people opinion's.

    Seriosely,i have no problem's with people's opinion's,like with Iraq an shit.but i jus cant understand y people support the palastinein's. WAKE THE FUCK UP they r a bunch of terrorrist's who want to destroy Israel and America.


    look's like a lame ass song anyway. whatever happend to good ole rock and roll!i aint never heard of tom waites,sound's like another whiny jackass anyhow
    Dude, you're, like, sooo shocking. Like, when you walk into a room, do all the lightbulbs explode? Do you work a second job as a defibrillator ?

    Tom Waits has been influencing "good ol' rock and roll" for over thirty years. And I tell ya, it makes me smile to know that you've never heard of him. I'm sorry - I mean "ain't never heard" of him.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    Oh, and I've, you know, actually talked to people from Palestine. Not a one pull any guns on me, blew me up, or decapitated me. In fact, I don't think they even mentioned Isreal.

    Conversations.

    Like real people.
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    Im a huge tom waitts fan. I love Raindogs and Swordfish Trombones....i wanna get the new album, but in regards to his politics i really dont care.
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    miller8966 wrote:
    Im a huge tom waitts fan. I love Raindogs and Swordfish Trombones....i wanna get the new album, but in regards to his politics i really dont care.
    What's interesting is that, until recently, Tom Waits rarely if ever ventured into political territory. Things must be pretty bad for him to write songs like Road to Peace and the Day After Tomorrow. I mean, after all, the guy's no hippie (no offence to hippiemom, of course).

    Oh, and by the way: Tom Waits Kicks Ass Bump.
  • hippiemomhippiemom Posts: 3,326
    RainDog wrote:
    What's interesting is that, until recently, Tom Waits rarely if ever ventured into political territory. Things must be pretty bad for him to write songs like Road to Peace and the Day After Tomorrow. I mean, after all, the guy's no hippie (no offence to hippiemom, of course).

    Oh, and by the way: Tom Waits Kicks Ass Bump.
    Heehee ... hippiemom isn't a hippie either :) A friend pinned that name on me as sort of a joke, and I stuck with it because I thought it sounded cute.

    I don't see this song as political, in the sense that he doesn't seem to be taking sides. Being against senseless violence isn't really a political stance ... isn't just about everyone against that? I think the song just points out how senseless most of it is.

    And yes, Tom Waits most definitely kicks ass!
    "Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." ~ MLK, 1963
  • RainDog wrote:
    What's interesting is that, until recently, Tom Waits rarely if ever ventured into political territory. Things must be pretty bad for him to write songs like Road to Peace and the Day After Tomorrow. I mean, after all, the guy's no hippie (no offence to hippiemom, of course).

    Oh, and by the way: Tom Waits Kicks Ass Bump.

    he takes human approaches to the goings on in the political world. its not taking one side or the other, its taking the side of human beings and the tragedies that are caused due to political involvements.

    and tha tpost above about not knowing who tom waits is made me "FUCKING LOL"

    hilarious.

    beautiful song, great song, the album is incredible.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    I suppose "political" isn't the right word - though, it seems if you make a comment on war in this day and age, you automatically fall into a political catagory. The verse on Kissinger and Bush helps too.

    I guess it's not entirely new to him; just a little more rare than it is for other artists. "Soldier's Things" off of Swordfishtrombones comes to mind.
  • the new incubus cd is out and it is awesome,...

    never heard of that dude though,... ill look him up,...
    you're a real hooker. im gonna slap you in public.
    ~Ron Burgundy
  • the new incubus cd is out and it is awesome,...

    never heard of that dude though,... ill look him up,...


    if it helps, eddie has covered him a few times. Most recently "picture in a frame"
  • miller8966miller8966 Posts: 1,450
    the new incubus cd is out and it is awesome,...

    never heard of that dude though,... ill look him up,...

    You should be shot for putting incubus and tom waits in the same sentence.
    America...the greatest Country in the world.
  • miller8966 wrote:
    You should be shot for putting incubus and tom waits in the same sentence.

    i was drawing no comparison there chief,... i've never heard of tom waits. that doesn't mean he isn't a bad ass. the lyrics up there are neat and i was actually going to check it out. you can say what you want about incubus. i think they are kick ass, and i really like their new cd.
    you're a real hooker. im gonna slap you in public.
    ~Ron Burgundy
  • gue_bariumgue_barium Posts: 5,515
    i was drawing no comparison there chief,... i've never heard of tom waits. that doesn't mean he isn't a bad ass. the lyrics up there are neat and i was actually going to check it out. you can say what you want about incubus. i think they are kick ass, and i really like their new cd.

    I wouldn't worry about it. Miller also put Incubus and Tom Waits in the same sentence.

    all posts by ©gue_barium are protected under US copyright law and are not to be reproduced, exchanged or sold
    except by express written permission of ©gue_barium, the author.
  • memememe Posts: 4,695
    This came up during a search I was doing.

    It's not the same without her here...
    ... and the will to show I will always be better than before.
  • normnorm Posts: 31,146
    meme wrote:
    This came up during a search I was doing.

    It's not the same without her here...


    wow thanks for the bump.....i do miss her so much....:(


    on a lighter note, it's kinda funny to see some old posters here.....miller, dino - typical.....and gue and ahnimus....you are missed :)
  • evenkatevenkat Posts: 380
    Oh i've got goose bumps. She would have so much to say about this year's election.
    "...believe in lies...to get by...it's divine...whoa...oh, you know what its like..."
  • decides2dreamdecides2dream Posts: 14,977
    meme wrote:
    This came up during a search I was doing.

    It's not the same without her here...



    thanks for the bump.....gave me chills, good chills. :)



    and damn straight.
    Stay with me...
    Let's just breathe...


    I am myself like you somehow


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