We Seek No Wider War (Home Tape)

We Seek No Wider War (Home Tape) - Phil Ochs

Over the ashes of blood marched the civilized soldiers

Over the ruins of the French fortress of a failure

Over the silent screams of the dead and the dying

Saying please be reassured we seek no wider war

The treaties were signed the country was split into sections

But growing numbers of prisons were built for protection

Rapidly filling with people who called for elections

But please be reassured we seek no wider war

Ngo Dinh Diem was the puppet

Who danced for the power

The hero of hate who gambled on hell for his hour

Father of his country was stamped

On the medals we showered

But please be reassured we seek no wider war

Machine gun bullets became the bloody baptizers

And the falcon 'copters don't care if someone's the wiser

But the boy in the swamp

Didn't know he was killed by advisers

So please be reassured

We seek no wider war

And fires were spitting at forests in defoliation

While the people were pressed

Into camps not called concentration

And the greater the victory the

Greater the shame of the nation

But please be reassured

We seek no wider war

While we were watching the

Prisoners were tested by torture

And vicious and violent gasses maintained the order

As the finest Washington minds

Found slogans for slaughter

But please be reassured we seek no wider war

Then over the border came the

Bay of Pigs planes of persuasion

All remaining honor went up in flames of invasion

But the shattered schools never

Learned that it's not escalation

But please be reassured

We seek no wider war

We're teaching people freedom

For which they are yearning

While were dragging them down

To the path of never returning

But we'll condescend to

Talk while the cities are burning

But please be reassured

We seek no wider war

We seek no wider war