STAR SPANGLED PAPER

AUDIO

I wrote and recorded this song a few years back at a time when veterans in the US and Australia (and I imagine elsewhere) after having battled the “enemy” on the ground overseas came home to find they had to fight another battle for the benefits, health care and support they were promised. Mountains of paper work, forms, records had to be filled out and submitted, paperwork was misplaced, submitted to the wrong department, “we need more consultation and opinions” etc etc etc.

It is a shame on any government and society in general when the men and women who served in the armed forces overseas … no matter the reason they were there or one’s opini0n as  to why … should have to fight against their own government bureaucracy to obtain the benefits that they were assured would be forthcoming upon their return.

They did what they were asked to do without question and many returned injured, damaged, with PTSD, homeless, jobless and with little to bank on other than the benefits they were promised … they were never told that to obtain those benefits they would have to go to battle again on the home front.

STAR SPANGLED PAPER – LYRICS

They dodged the bullets and roadside bombs they battled the Chinese and the Viet Cong

They worked the planes and the ships for too long and now it seems you’ve done them wrong

You send men to the moon and see stars and beyond but to help returned soldiers the job is too hard

You say they are heroes brave and strong but piles of paper for their benefits are deep and the lines are long

Tributes of phony nationalism support your façade but the wait for help renders it meaningless and odd

You say they did it for us and stand up and salute but when it comes to assistance the point is moot

Oh say can you see that the vets are in need

They manned all the ramparts all the horror they’d seen

All the rockets red glare now they wait for their share

They fought through the night but the records are where

Oh say does that Star Spangled banner still wave

For the vets that return to the home of the brave

Yeah well its hard to get enthused about your support for your vets as the paper piles up as high as your chest

Fast tracked welfare and bank bene-gifts help for the poor handouts for the rich but oh to the vets well you just say “they’re the best”

They don’t ask for much just the help that you promised when they gave up their youth and thought you were honest

Oh for them its hard to see that star spangled wave through the night their long wait for help may be their toughest fight.

We’ve computerized everything from games to your chair but we can’t do it for vets there’s paper everywhere

Fast food, fast cars, fast money, fast claims but for vets who gave their all it seems slow help is the aim

We can get from New York to San Fran in a matter of minutes but it takes so many years for a vet to see benefits

Paper piles up over at the V.A. but it’s instantaneous results when it comes to politicians pay

Talk is cheap we’re working on it now we won’t let you down but the paper piles up and they can’t find it now

Yeah yeah yeah all that we support our vets talk is so sour phony nationalism is just talk they suffer by the hour

Oh say can you see that the vets are in need

They manned all the ramparts all the horror they’d seen

All the rockets red glare now they wait for their share

They fought through the night but the records are where

Oh say does that Star Spangled banner still wave

For the vets that return to the home of the brave