December 25, 2004

Willie Nelson in concert in Austin, Texas on Jan. 3, 2004

To listen to the audio discusssed in this article, click below:
'What Ever Happened to Peace On Earth,' by Willie Nelson, Piano Version

One year ago, on Christmas Day, Willie Nelson wrote this song, which includes the lyrics:

We believe everything that they tell us
They're gonna' kill us
So we gotta' kill them first
But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill
How much is that soldier's life worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

The public got to hear 'What Ever Happened to Peace On Earth' for the first time on Jan. 3, 2004, when Willie Nelson performed it in a concert in Austin, Texas, to raise money for the Dennis Kucinich presidential campaign. Kucinich advocates a rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and the creation of a Dept. of Peace.

The concert version was done on guitar. The piano-version I linked at the top of this article is newer, and I heard it for the first time this morning.

The lyrics and photos of Willie Nelson in concert are at Dennis Kucinich's website.

The start of the lyrics is below:

Excerpt 'What Ever Happened To Peace On Earth' by Willie Nelson

There's so many things going on in the world
Babies dying
Mothers crying
How much oil is one human life worth
And what ever happened to peace on earth

We believe everything that they tell us
They're gonna' kill us
So we gotta' kill them first
But I remember a commandment
Thou shall not kill
How much is that soldier's life worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

(Bridge)
And the bewildered herd is still believing
Everything we've been told from our birth
Hell they won't lie to me
Not on my own damn TV
But how much is a liar's word worth
And whatever happened to peace on earth

So I guess it's just
Do unto others before they do it to you
Let's just kill em' all and let God sort em' out
Is this what God wants us to do