Lyrics
1942, picking up rations for the week
Refers to the year 1942 when picking up food rations for the week was a common practice.
A girl looks for a candy bar to find them all but gone
A girl searches for a candy bar but finds them all sold out.
The cashier says, "they've traveled to brave men across the sea"
The cashier explains the scarcity by suggesting that the candy bars have been sent to soldiers at war.
She doesn't understand
The girl doesn't comprehend why there are none left for children like her.
"Why aren't there any left for little girls like me?"
Questioning the absence of candy bars for kids amidst war-related scarcity.
The radio in the back room
A radio in the background attempts to make sense of the situation.
Tries to make sense of it all
The radio tries to interpret events as they unfold.
Where the story being written
Stories becoming reality, shaping perceptions.
Becomes the writing on the wall
Events becoming inevitable consequences.
Power making promises it never meant to keep
Power structures make assurances they fail to honor, leading to broken promises.
With the ocean between us and them
The geographical distance (ocean) separates 'us' from 'them,' affecting lives.
Rocking her to sleep
The turmoil of the world impacting innocent lives, symbolized by rocking a child to sleep.
1973, there's a record on, her daughter sings along
Refers to the year 1973, a time when a mother's daughter sings to a record.
Mama locked on TV as she hushes her song
Despite the daughter's singing, the mother is absorbed in distressing TV news.
Far away in Vietnam concludes a senseless dispute
Far away in Vietnam, an unresolved conflict leads to tragic outcomes.
Mama weeps for the 20 years that we put death in a business suit
The mother grieves over the prolonged period of conflict characterized by disguised death and violence.
The television in the back room tries
A television in the background attempts to rationalize the ongoing events.
To make sense of it all
The TV tries to make sense of the unfolding situation.
Where the story being written
Events turning into historical narratives influencing perceptions.
Becomes the writing on the wall
The inevitable consequences of actions and decisions becoming evident.
Power making promises it never meant to keep
Similar to earlier, promises made by powerful entities that are not fulfilled.
With the ocean between us and them
The separation between 'us' and 'them' caused by distance, impacting lives profoundly.
Rocking her to sleep
The turmoil of the world affecting innocent lives, symbolized by the act of rocking someone to sleep.
2004, granddaughter laughing, playing war like it's a game
In 2004, a granddaughter engages in war-themed play, unaware of its grim reality.
Flat screen blaring, channels flip, and land on something strange,
The television shows distressing images, catching the attention of the family.
Tanks roll down the sand past crying women, wounded men
Scenes of warfare, tanks, and suffering people in a distant land.
Grandma shuts them out, "you're not to watch the news again"
The grandmother shields the child from the disturbing reality portrayed on TV.
Then she tries to get her back
The grandmother tries to divert the child's attention, urging her to play.
Says "come and play with me"
Inviting the child to join in play despite the distressing external events.
But she says, "I don't feel like playing anymore"
The child is affected by the grim realities and loses interest in play.
As grandma tucks her in and tries to give her some relief
The grandmother tries to comfort and put the child to bed, struggling with her own knowledge of harsh truths.
She fears her baby's learned what she already knew
The grandmother fears that the child is learning about harsh realities at an early age.
The truth don't always set you free
A realization that knowing the truth doesn't always lead to freedom from its impact.
The little one in her bedroom tries
The child tries to comprehend the world's chaos and events from her own space.
To make sense of it all
Attempting to understand and make sense of the unfolding events.
Where the story being written
The narrative of events shaping perceptions and understanding.
Becomes the writing on the wall
The consequences of actions and decisions becoming clear.
Power making promises it never meant to keep
Similar to previous instances, powerful entities failing to keep their promises.
With the ocean between us and them
The distance between different sides, impacting lives and causing turmoil.
Rocking her to sleep
The distress and upheaval caused by worldly events affecting someone's peace and tranquility, depicted by the act of 'rocking to sleep.'
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