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Generals and Refugees

by Linn Brown

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about

I first wrote and recorded Generals and Refugees in the 1980s. It’s a song about the powerful and the disenfranchised. The Bridges are topical and in this new version, I address climate change and the mistreatment of immigrants at our southern border.
I recorded the track at Ben Leinbach’s Old Bull Studios, in San Anselmo. I played keyboard and sang the lead vocal. Tim “TC” Campbell added the B3 part remotely from his home.
Ben and I sang the back-up vocals and he added bass and percussion. He edited, mixed, and mastered the track, as well.
Cover art-Geoff Rantala

lyrics

Generals and Refugees

General George Washington was a man with a plan
To fight the Indians and take away their land
By death or by trickery he would succeed
He brought the Iroquois Nation to its knees

And left them
Homeless, starving, hopeless, yet still praying
For the ordinary life that lies somewhere in between
The Generals and Refugees

General Motors could afford to disregard
That a family of five would end up living in their car
When a dollar’s worth of gasoline won’t take you very far
You’re better off just to stay right where you are

Meanwhile, the planet is soaking in toxins
Islands of plastic are choking the oceans
The tides and the temperatures rise and cause flooding and fires
All of this flies in the faces of science deniers
Clean air and water are altered by poisonous agents
What will we do when the Earth can no longer sustain us

We will be
Homeless, starving, hopeless, yet still praying
For the ordinary life that lies somewhere in between
The Generals and Refugees

General Dynamics wants to build a better bomb
With a government contract for the latest Viet Nam
In truth, they realize that the ones they have will do
To wipe out a continent or two

And leave us
Homeless, starving, hopeless, yet still praying
For the ordinary life that lies somewhere in between
The Generals and Refugees

Meanwhile, there’s chaos and rage at the border
Children in cages and desperate mothers and fathers
Seeking asylum from violence and devastation
Hoping the wealthiest nation on Earth can save them
Instead of compassion they’re faced with political backlash
Scapegoated, hated, arrested, and turned away


Homeless, starving, hopeless, yet still praying
For the ordinary life that lies somewhere in between
The Generals and Refugees


©️ Linn Brown 2019

credits

released October 3, 2019
Keyboard and Lead Vocal-Linn Brown
Back-up Vocals-Linn Brown and Ben Leinbach
Hammond B-3-Tim Campbell
Bass and Percussion-Ben Leinbach

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Linn Brown Oakland, California

I write songs, sing and play piano. Over the years,
I’ve released music for children, solo piano improvisations, and singer~songwriter collections. I’m presenting my twelve most recent recordings here.

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