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first draft

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NOTHING LESS THAN FREE song lyrics
by Joel Sattler

in the jailhouse
of my mind
no thinking twice
all my thoughts are
intertwined
trapped in my own device

and when light comes
through the bars
and what's done is done with me
I can see the
night of stars
and I have to break free

[whispered:]
stone walls do not a prison make
nor iron bars a cage
nor iron bars a cage

every day we're standing
we're standing in the open
thinking we have freedom
but we all are slaves and

every time we cry out
they're turning all the lights out
but we were meant to be
nothing less than free

maybe they think we're fooling ourselves
think we're volunteering for hells
but fighting with our blood and tooth
for our liberty and the truth

and when they say we're singing too loud
they fire bullets into the crowd
but we were meant to be
nothing less than free

and then dead re-turn to earth
and the wounds are healed
and when peace comes at last
to the empty battlefield

but the future's no mystery
fail to learn from our history
so we are repeating the past
wishing for a savior at last

but he isn't coming this time
so we have to live with the crime
though we were meant to be
nothing less than free

we don't have to believe their lie
live on our knees or stand and die
shout defiance with our last breath
there are much worse things than death

and tomorrow tell our tale
if we win or if we fail
say that we were meant to be
NOTHING LESS THAN FREE !

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