Harry Chapin – Basic Protest Song lyrics

CHORUS:

So your 13 and there's a silent scream out there,
And you can hear it.
Just your basic protest song.

Now your 16 and there's a danger in the air,
And you can see it.
Just your basic protest song.

Turnin' 20 and it's around you everywhere,
And you can feel it.
Just your basic protest song.

Now your 30 and it's to late now to care,
And you can taste it.
Just your basic protest song


Well, I just turned 13 don't know what I wanna be,
I don't have much experience but I'll tell you what I see.
When I hear the record sing and baby, baby I love you,
It seems to me we all got so much lovin left to do.

And at 16 I don't know to much but I'll tell you what I do know,
If you do not give a damn I'll tell you where to go.
There is something truly crazy with our patriotic song,
We know to wave the flag round the week begins a strong.

CHORUS

Oh now that I am 20 got my first full time job,
My boss, upstanding citizen, finds legal ways to rob.
They say forget what you believe forget what you have seen,
But I know I lost the best of me when I forgot my dreams.

I'm passin' on through 30 got two kids of my own,
Got a wife, house, a car, and dog but still I am alone.
And I'm tired of only selling cause it's myself that I sell,
I'm glad of always buying cause I can't buy it ourselves.

I know none of us is perfect I can see myself to well,
If we can't push for paradise we're settled in for hell.
CHORUS