© Copyright 2021 Peter Lloyd

Three days after nine-eleven 
At the National Cathedral
Congress came to pay respects
To the lives we lost to evil

California’s Barbara Lee 
Joined the mournful wake
And in respectful witness
Our leaders bowed and prayed

The time would come when those who prayed
Would meet to ponder war
So the preacher urged we not repeat
The evil we deplore 

When the House met to deliberate
They huffed and puffed and roared
But Lee warned, “No, let’s not become
The evil we deplore”

Four-hundred-twenty voted yes
Four-hundred-twenty ayes
One lone hero voted no
wise demise lies dies flies 

Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Was Lee the only one who listened?
Was she the only one who heard?
The simple prayer, “Let’s not become
The evil we deplore 

Twenty years of hate and waste
Twenty years of war
Despite Lee’s warnings, we became
The evil we deplore

Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Was Lee the only one who listened?
Was she the only one who heard?
The simple prayer, “Let’s not become
The evil we deplo

We need more than one to stand
Not just Lee but many more
We need more to unbecome 
The evil we deplore

Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Four-hundred-twenty to one!
Was Lee the only one who listened?
Was she the only one who heard?
The simple prayer, “Let’s not become
The evil we deplore"

The Evil We Deplore

Songwriter since 1966. Can't believe I still have to write protest songs. Prefer writing love songs and songs of praise for stand-up women and men, parodies, lyrical nonsense, blues and adaptations.