“War, I despise
‘Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives” Artist: Edwin Starr (Songwriters: Barrett Strong / Norman Whitfield War lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC)

When I was a child
     we played WAR
		
sticks were our guns 
hiding behind trees 
     and bushes 

shooting at our friends 
     now our enemy

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

falling dead in exaggerated movement

SCREAMING

     I’ve been hit

practicing for the day 
when so many would be shipped off 

     it was like a real war
     but we didn’t call it that

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

I don’t even remember what we called it
     in some faraway jungle 	 

     we’re here to save you from yourselves 

our government 
fed the WAR machine 
     billions trillions of dollars 

AND

the young found 
no solace no faith 
in government kill reports 
cause they saw the real damage 

of WAR 

so close
so near

they knew before Washington knew

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

“The history of war spans from early human conflict
over 500,000 years ago to modern global conflicts,
evolving from primitive tribal skirmishes to
highly organized, large-scale armies and
advanced technology.”

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

WAR was not for me
     I didn’t go

no excuses were too great
     to escape fear

AND

     death

what we saw on tv was 
        too horrible to describe

WAR 
is a mass shooter event 

gunning down 
     hundreds thousands millions

we never learn

WAR 
     killing machines
now
     on the grounds 
of our American cities

killers don’t even care 
     what race 
     what color 
     what age 
     what class

killing machines 
     in our cities
 
AND

     small towns

AND

     in red states
 
AND 

     blue states

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

“Evidence suggests humans used weapons 
like spears for hunting large game 
as early as 500,000 to 300,000 years ago, 
which may have also been used in conflicts 
between individuals and groups.”

can we call it WAR 
if it is
     neighbor against neighbor 
     friend against friend 
     siblings against siblings

can we call it WAR 
if it is 
     a fifteen year old 
     in search of a thrill
 
OR

     revenge 
with an AR-15

They don’t care what you call it as long as the bodies mount and count to the total number of kills

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

WAR 
     don’t care what you call it.

rack ‘em up 
     shoot ‘em down 
from above 
     on the ground 
     in the air 

bullets flowing raining down 
     like a killer tornado 

OR

     monsoon hurricane 

you or anyone cannot hide 
     while we stand-by 

AND 

call it something else 
to disguise the deaths 
     children 
     old women 
     old men 
     boys 
     girls

who were just waiting for school to begin or walking to the store to get some treat
 
     OR

a mother running to scoop up her children before they were shot down in cold blood

BOMBED back to the stone age

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

WAR don’t care what you call it
     it’s all the same
death and destruction

avenging angels 

     OR

devils 
     it doesn't matter

“Warfare evolved from primitive tribal groups to seasonal levies, 
then to feudal armies, and eventually to professional standing armies 
and mass conscription forces, each with formal organizational structures.”

I swear on the bible 
     the same bible 
that tells us 
     an eye for eye 
     a body for a body 
     a life for life 
     so help you god

There is no cover in religion
 
OR

ideology 

OR 

politics that can justify
the emptiness of grief 

OR

the somber mood that sinks your soul
into the ground 
the dead piled up in mass graves the sorrow
that comes from watching WAR 
live on CNN FOX MSNBC

from the front lines 
from behind enemy lines 
from the barrel of a gun 
the cockpit of a fighter jet 
from the top of a falling missile 
the tip of a bomb 

from the front lines 
from behind enemy lines 
from the barrel of a gun 
from the cockpit of a fighter jet 
from the top of a falling missile 
from the tip of a bomb

we are live so you can witness it all 
     live
 
AND

     in living color 
like the color of fresh blood 
     mangled bodies 
     mangled lives 

that will never again celebrate a    birthday 
a wedding 
a birth of dreams 
of peace 

only 
the nightmare of WAR 
when diplomacy fails
we all perish

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped

happy lives turned upside down right side up

seeking shelter 
seeking a reason 
any reason for 
why is this the only way 

the way where there are no answers 
     because we don’t want no answers 
     because we like no answers 
     because this is just the way

it’s been throughout mankind history 
     can’t be explained
     can’t be worried about it 
because this isn’t the first time 
     nor the last time

so throw your hands up in the air
 
    AND 

surrender 

because we’re coming to you LIVE

Snap cRaCkLe POP
	bodies snapped
	minds crackling
	lives popped