My Music Monday: Where Are You, Martin?

This song stems from the assignment last winter in which we all had to write a song about a holiday. I had to be difficult; my inspiration came from sitting through an insipid Martin Luther King Day program at school which had very little to do with MLK.

Oh, and the war and stuff, too.

Where Are You, Martin?
© 2005 Jay Bullock

Where are you Martin? Are you watching this?
Can you hear them invoking your name?
How are you Martin? Betrayed with a kiss?
After all this time, nothing’s changed.

It’s a different generation, the same ignorance
A different set of victims, and the same defense
Different causes, and all the same effects
Different history, but we know what’s coming next

Where are you Martin? Where have you been so long?
How can you stand to stay up there?
How are you Martin? I hope you like my song
It’s the closest thing I’ve got to prayer

I see the same dogs keeping different men down
The same torture on a different shade of brown
It’s the same gun shot from different hands
The same goddamned war fought in different lands

You say you saw the mountain, but you would never get there
Well, none of us has gotten to go
After all the marching, the riots and the scares
Feels like it’s fifty years ago

How are you Martin? Are you with Bobby and Jack?
I’d love to hear what you’re talking about
Where are you Martin? Are you coming back?
We sure could use a dreamer now