Song for Cindy Sheehan

Casey was a good boy
He treated people well
And his momma loved him
Anyone could tell
She’d send him off to school
Pack his lunch with care
When he came back home she hugged him
With her fingers in his hair
Cindy, she loved Casey
And when all is said and done
She is every mother
And he was every mother’s son

When Casey was a little older
He spent his time each week
In that church in Vacaville
In the service of the meek
In the service of his city
In the service of the lord
With his momma in the pews
All the time they could afford
And if their love alone could save us
Then the world would be one
She is every mother
And he was every mother’s son

People thought the priesthood
Was where he’d someday be
So some folks were surprised
When he joined the army
The recruiter told him
He wouldn’t have to fight
Cindy hoped this was the case
And prayed for him every night
That was before they sent him
To the desert with a gun
She is every mother
And he was every mother’s son

His truck had no armor
And when it came under fire
It and half the soldiers in it
Became a funeral pyre
Cindy, she was sleeping
The moment Casey died
And she knew she’d never see him
Standing by her side
There was no consolation
No safe place she could run
She is every mother
And he was every mother’s son

The president, he told her
He died for a noble cause
But Cindy’s wondering
Exactly what that was
Since they never found the weapons
And now that Casey’s gone
It seems that oil is the game
And Casey was the pawn
Cindy’s got some questions
And so does everyone
She is every mother
And he was every mother’s son

“Song for Cindy Sheehan” appears on the 2006 CD, Halliburton Boardroom Massacre.

I was a performer at the Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas in 2005, where Cindy Sheehan was also speaking and conspiring to launch Camp Casey, which she started basically on the last day of the VFP conference.  I had gigs to do around the country, including a protest at Stratcom in Nebraska, but when I could, I got back to Texas, and visited Camp Casey during the last days of the camp, as Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on Louisiana.  During my travels I wrote this song, which I sang for Cindy and other folks at the camp.  Cindy and I have since spent a fair bit of wonderful time together in all kinds of strange circumstances.