10,000 Miles Away

Words & Music: Pat Drummond

10,000 Miles Away (Until It's Happening To You)
Dateline Mt Glorious Queensland 11/04/03 During The Bombing Of Bagdad
Words and Music: Pat Drummond

10,000 miles away the captain banked the airplaine
and when The Square came into view
He trained the crosshairs on the market near the fourlane
The way that he'd been trained to do.
From where I sit the sun is shining on the parkland
From where I sit the sky is blue
I guess it isn't really happening
Unless it's happening to you

10,000 miles away Ali ran to the market
to where the children always played
The bunker bomb was laser guided to the target
It blew both his arms away
From where I sit my child comes running through the playground
She's just got out of Primary school
I guess it isn't really happening
Unless it's happening to you

10,000 miles away the captain gave his briefing
They thought they'd killed Saddam Hussien
I watched the mothers of those murdered children weeping
He did not seem to feel their pain
10,000 miles away I watched him give that briefing
He said he did it in my name
He said a soldier must feel proud to serve his country
I felt an overwhelming shame

10,000 years from now the world will know no armies.
They'll know what I know to be true
Each man's responsible for what he does himself
Even things they order him to do
But all my visions of the future are just ashes
They're dreams that never will come true
Until you feel the shame I felt when he was speaking
Until it's happening to you
Until we realise that we are all the enemy
Whatever uniform we choose
Until you feel the shame I felt when he was speaking
Until it's happening to you

 

 

 

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