I am the son of a grassland farmer
Western Oklahomanineteen forty three
I always felt grateful to live in the land of thefree
I gave up my father to South Korea
The mind of my brother toVietnam
Now theres a banker who says I must give up my land
There arefour generations of blood in this topsoil
Four generations of love on this farm
Before I give up I would gladly give up my right arm

What are we making weapons for
Why keep on feeding the war machine
We take it right out of the mouths of our babies
Take it away from the hands of the poor
Tell me, what are we making weapons for

 

 

I had a son and my son was a soldier
He was so like my father, he was so much like me
To be a good comrade was the best that

he dreamed he could be

He gave up his futureto revolution
His life to a battle that just cant be won
For this is notliving, to live at the point of a gun
I remember the nine hundred days ofLeningrad
The sound of the dying, the cut of the cold
I remember themoments I prayed I would never grow old

What are we making weaponsfor
Why keep on feeding the war machine
We take it right out of themouths of our babies
Take it away from the hands of the poor
Tell me,what are we making weapons for

For the first time in my life I feel like a prisoner
A slave to the ways of the powers that be
And I fear for my children,

as I fear for the for the future I see
Tell me how can it be we’re still fighting each other
What does it take for a people to learn
If oursong is not sung as a chorus, we surely will burn

What are we makingweapons for
Why keep on feeding the war machine
We take it right out ofthe mouths of our babies
Take it away from the hands of the poor
Tell me,what are we making weapons for

Have we forgottenAll the lives that were given
All the vows that were taken
Saying never again
Now for thefirst time
This could be the last time
If peace is our vision
Let usbegin

Have we forgotten
All the lives that were given
All the vowsthat were taken
Saying never again, never again
Now for the firsttime
This could be the last time
If peace is our vision
Let us begin,
let us begin

Words and music by John Denver
This song was first released on the One World Album.
It is the only album it appears on.