They picked up guitars
And they sang out the truth
And broadsides they hurled at the world.
The poetry they wrote
It left people moved
And helped wake up many lost souls.
Pete and Joan
They sang out alone
In the Village, in Cambridge, in Newport.
And Bob and Phil
Protested Evil
And pointed their fingers at wrong.
Peter, Paul and Mary
They joined up with Judy
And freedom called over the air.
And Odetta and Buffy
Sang out their songs roughly
That peace it was better than war.
Richard and Mimi
Packed sorrows up freely
And Ritchie, he kept on the path.
And Gordon and Sis
They didn't give up
And Gil, he taught others his craft.
Freedom Singers and Tom
Spread the alarm
And Dave sang his blues out with soul.
And over in England
Peggy and Ewan
The danger in mines, they exposed.
The years have flown by
And people still cry
And the screen world is still filled with lies.
And some they still try
While others have died
And it's time for a New Freedom Ride.
Yes, they picked up guitars
And they sang out the truth
And broadsides they hurled at the world.
The poetry they wrote
It gave people hope
And helped wake up many lost souls.
Written in the 1990's, this protest folk song pays tribute to the protest folk singers, protest folk songsmiths and protest folk music scene of the late 1950's and early 1960's; and calls for a "New Freedom Ride" in the music scene of the 21st-century.
