This is about the fifth filk I've done to this tune. I've got to
widen my repertoire of chauvinistic songs.

It appears to me that neither progenitor song was strict with its
scansion, especially in terms of an extra unstressed syllable at the
beginnings of a line. So, I'm following tradition. Let me know if
this needs too big of a hammer. Especially let me know of errors of
fact. And, what the hell, let me know anything else I did wrong.

Title: Battle Hymn of the Patriots
ttto: John Brown's Body (Battle Hymn of the Republic)

I Watched my country growing up for more than ten score years
I saw it start with thirteen states and saw the pioneers
They took its ethos with them while expanding its frontiers
My country does no wrong

(Chorus after every verse:)
Glory! Glory to my country
Criticism will affront me
Glory! Glory to my country
My country right or wrong

The Injuns had no smallpox 'fore the blankets that we gave
We made sure that we moved them out from regions that we crave
We took their sons and daughters just to teach them to behave
My country does no wrong

We killed or blinded winos 'cause they shouldn't have been drunk
We left untreated syphilis to just inspect their junk
We sprayed with heavy metals, but to claim it's poison? Bunk!
My country does no wrong

For LSD we needed tests on subjects unaware
We dosed some random students just to see how they would fare
The future Unabomber was not our fault, we declare
My country does no wrong

Our business firms need room to grow; we help them to do well
If governments don't want them, we took steps to see they fell
Pineapples and bananas, we must have them to resell
My country does no wrong

There's more that could be written of the things that came to light
That quislings, traitors, treasonists don't think that we did right
Mockingbird and Buck v. Bell were proper use of might
My country does no wrong

The things that are still secret are still things that I believe...
Are only there to help us not intended to deceive
Believing U.S. critics is to just be too naive
My country does no wrong

Appendix:

I did not research those things I was reasonably sure I had right.
(But history was never a strong subject.) Many of the things
mentioned can be easily researched from the lyrics. But to save some
time, here are some explanations and/or good search words. (Not in
order.)

Buck v. Bell: "Three generations of imbeciles are enough"
MK Ultra: Yes, Ted Kaczynski was surreptitiously dosed with LSD
Tuskegee experiment: Deliberately left syphilis untreated
Operation LAC: Spraying heavy metals, etc. near major cities
Mockingbird: Long-term wiretapping reporters to find their sources
During Prohibition, they denatured alcohol, even knowing people would
drink it, anyway.

My lyrics copyright 2024 by Arthur Tansky. License granted for
non-commercial, non-political archiving and performance as long as:
1. copyright notice is maintained, and
2. no money changes hands.

Yes, the song is political. But personal archiving is not, nor is
Xeno. Performing it while campaigning is, but performing it in a filk
circle is not. So, I think my standard licensing terms make sense.
--
Arthur T. - ar23hur "at" pobox "dot" com

Guessing a lyricist's opinions from his songs is as futile as
guessing an author's opinions from his novels.

Last one out, turn off the lights.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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