Looking at how my tax dollars are spent got me thinking. We really need to rewrite the US “Pledge of Allegiance”. Here’s the new, improved version:
I pledge allegiance to the zy0nist government of Israel, and to the manipulation and control on which it stands. One enslaved people, under zy0nism, with propaganda and little to no justice for anyone except the ruling elite.
An Anthem For Our Times
by C. A. Matthews
I wanted to do something different this week just to see where it would take me.
Last week’s post was on the longer side, and fact-heavy articles tend not to get re-posted as much. So I decided this time ‘round to share some more of my poetry, but this time by putting it to a tune. (Maybe this kind of audio post will help me break into the Substack Top 100? I’d be happy just to get my subscriber count over 2,000, including a few more paying subscribers.)
I won’t claim to be a poet. I’ve had some of my poetry published before, such as last year’s poem Dust From Gaza in For All, the Revolutionary Poets Brigade anthology. I know a lot more talented poets here on Substack (such as Dan Denton) who make my attempts at poetry pale by comparison. But I was inspired by two recent events to write this poem, which quickly became the lyrics to a song, an actual honest-to-goodness protest song.
I thought: “Every generation has a protest song, a song that sums up what’s really important and needs to change to make the world a better place. Why can’t I write that song?”
I know that sounds a bit arrogant, but one can always dream of being remembered for more than just writing a weekly sociopolitical column for the past ten years and pissing off more strangers, friends, and acquaintances than there are grains of sand on the beach in Gaza. I’d like it if people could say at my passing: “Wow, she cared enough to put herself out there and write a pro-Palestine protest song that made even more people hate her.”
The inspiration for my song came from Caitlin Johnstone’s brilliant in-your-face essay, Nobody Say “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine” which was in turn inspired by the Northern Irish hip-hop group Kneecap’s brilliant in-your-face protest screen at the recent Coachella music festival. Caitlin and Tim (they’re a writing team, so I don’t want to leave either of them out) stated that one should never say the phrase “Fuck Israel, Free Palestine,” as this could be considered hurtful by those folks who think “genocide is good.”
Well, let me state for the record that I’m certainly not one of those immoral, sadistic, sick and twisted bastards who thinks “genocide is good.”
I’ll shout the phrase Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! all I like and then some, especially if doing so brings about a swift, definitive end to this horrific genocide in Gaza. Like so many, I’ve enough nightmares of my own to deal with, but I can’t imagine the terror the Palestinian people (and their loved ones abroad) have been going through on a daily—no, hourly, no minute-by-minute—basis since October 2023. Those who believe in peace and freedom for all peoples must do all that we can to stop the killing and get food, shelter, and medical aid to them as soon as possible.
With that in mind, this song is dedicated to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that was bombed off the coast of Malta recently by the IDF. The Israelis just couldn’t allow a humanitarian mission bring food into Gaza, so they had to cripple the Conscience and injure its occupants so they’d never consider doing anything as outrageous as feed starving people ever again.
I’d also like to dedicate this to guys in Kneecap who are now under investigation for “antisemitism” in the UK for their outspokenness for the people of Palestine. I applaud them for their courage. We need more artists like Kneecap, Macklemore of Hind’s Hall 1 & 2 fame, and Caitlin Johnstone who won’t let the powers-that-be censor how they use their creative talents. We need more artists to show the world what’s really happening to the Palestinian people—and others—who are suffering at the hands of the Israeli military and their Western stooges, the US, the UK, and the rest.
Below are the song lyrics and above is the recording. (Apologies for the poor audio quality—it’s the first time I’ve tried singing into a laptop mic.) I’ve recorded the song a cappella because it’s difficult for me to figure out how to record on my laptop, play an instrument, and sing at the same time. But I like making music enough to keep trying to get better at it. I’ve sung in stage musicals and with a championship chorus, in quartets, sacred choirs, rock-and-roll praise bands and the like, so maybe it’s okay that I can only play the keyboard one hand at a time, right?
If any of you kind folks out there can hook me up with an acoustic guitar player and other musicians so we can do a proper recording of this protest song, that would be fantastic. Maybe we could form a band and take it on the road? (Another bucket list dream of mine. I have the perfect name for a protest band in mind.) I’m hoping my small contribution to protest music can raise awareness of the plight of the Palestinian people and others in that region.
Keep singing, saying, and shouting Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! for as long as you have a breath in your body. The oppressed peoples of the world need all the attention our words and art can give them.
Fuck Israel! Free Palestine!
A protest song by C. A. Matthews
Verse 1: Once upon a time, there was a place so fair and fine A home its people had always on their minds Zy’nists took their land away, stolen to this very day Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! Verse 2: Once upon a time, a true soul was humankind’s Our conscience would not agree to such dark crimes But capt'lists make their bank from bombing kids and naked hate Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! Chorus 1: Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! This will be the cry of our times We’ve seen what racists do and bore the grief of all their lies So fuck Israel! And Free Palestine! Verse 3: Once upon a time, the US itself the paradigm It’s flag-waving grand, its culture oh so sublime But it sold itself to sin—a cruel cult belonging in the bin Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! Chorus 2: Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! This is now the song of our times We’ve seen what haters do, felt the anguish of war crimes So fuck Israel! And Free Palestine! Verse 4: Once upon a time, the whole church cherished the dear Christ’s words To love thy neighbor, never kill thy own kind They forget the Golden Rule, after earthly power it does drool Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! Chorus 3: Fuck Israel! Free Palestine! This becomes the anthem for our times! We’ve seen what zy’nists do and their Western stooges, too So fuck Israel! And Free Palestine! Shouting: Fuck AIPAC! Free Palestine! Fuck billionaires! Free Palestine! Fuck warmongers! Free Palestine! Fuck child-killers! Free Palestine! Fuck war criminals! Free Palestine! Fuck Israel! Free Palestine!
Related Articles and Other Singable Links
Flotilla Coalition Ship to Gaza Attacked in International Waters https://medeabenjamin.substack.com/p/flotilla-coalition-ship-to-gaza-attacked
Condemnations and call for investigation from experts following the attack on the Freedom Flotilla https://freedomflotilla.org/2025/05/02/condemnations-and-call-for-investigation-from-experts-following-the-attack-on-the-freedom-flotilla/
Israel Bombs Humanitarian Aid Flotilla on Way to Gaza https://news.antiwar.com/2025/05/02/israel-bombs-humanitarian-aid-flotilla-on-way-to-gaza/
I Am In Malta With The Gaza Flotilla Ship ‘Conscience’ Bombed By Israel https://popularresistance.org/i-am-in-malta-with-the-gaza-flotilla-ship-conscience-bombed-by-israel/
As Israelis Blockade Food to Gaza, 9,000 Children have been Admitted for Acute Malnutrition https://www.juancole.com/2025/05/israelis-blockade-malnutrition.html
Israel Is Demolishing Homes in the West Bank to Force Palestinians to Leave https://truthout.org/articles/israel-is-demolishing-homes-in-the-west-bank-to-force-palestinians-to-leave/
Israel Will Even Persecute Palestinians For Simply Talking To Journalists https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israel-will-even-persecute-palestinians
YAF targeted Ben Gurion with hypersonic ballistic missile https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/yemeni-missile-hits-ben-gurion-airport-as-interceptors-fail
Israel carrying out ‘live-streamed genocide’ in Gaza, Amnesty says https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/29/israel-carrying-out-live-streamed-genocide-in-gaza-amnesty-says
It Was Never About Hostages. It Was Never About Hamas. https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/it-was-never-about-hostages-it-was
Israel's Backers Keep Whining That They're Losing Control Of The Narrative https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israels-backers-keep-whining-that
Fires Ablaze in a Stolen Land: A Failing Zionist Project in Flames https://www.palestinechronicle.com/fires-ablaze-in-a-stolen-land-a-failing-zionist-project-in-flames/
Activist Mohsen Mahdawi Freed From Prison After Judge Orders His Release https://truthout.org/articles/activist-mohsen-mahdawi-freed-from-prison-after-judge-orders-his-release/
Mothers deported by Trump ‘denied’ chance to transfer custody of children, lawyer says https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/women-children-citizens-deported-honduras
Why Pro-Palestine protesters are being sent to a for-profit ICE prison in rural Louisiana https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/why-pro-palestine-protesters-are-being-sent-to-a-for-profit-ice-prison-in-rural-louisiana/
Arresting a Judge https://consortiumnews.com/2025/04/30/arresting-a-judge/
3 People Die in ICE Custody in April as Conditions Worsen in Immigration Jails https://truthout.org/articles/3-people-die-in-ice-custody-in-april-as-conditions-worsen-in-immigration-jails/
UN Experts: Trump Admin’s Deportations to El Salvador Violate International Law https://scheerpost.com/2025/05/01/un-experts-trump-admins-deportations-to-el-salvador-violate-international-law/
Solidarity Protests Sweep West Africa In Defense Of Burkina Faso https://popularresistance.org/solidarity-protests-sweep-west-africa-in-defense-of-burkina-faso/
Could America Have A General Strike Like France? | The Class Room ft. youtu.be/6acROsgruQU?si=jKtOYN-Ht5GTY2p3
Biden Never Pushed For A Ceasefire In Gaza https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/biden-never-pushed-for-a-ceasefire
Think About Innocent Palestine When you Watch Louis Theroux's 'The Settlers' https://alonmizrahi.substack.com/p/think-about-innocent-palestine-when
Sixty-Eight Reported Killed by US Airstrike on African Migrant Facility in Yemen https://scheerpost.com/2025/04/29/sixty-eight-reported-killed-by-us-airstrike-on-african-migrant-facility-in-yemen/
Marco Rubio Silences Every Last Little Criticism of Israel at State Department https://theintercept.com/2025/04/26/rubio-israel-leahy-law-state-department-human-rights/
Video from Prof. Katherine Franke on Trump's Executive Order that could be violating the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act:
National Endowment for Democracy Is Now Erasing Disclosure Data https://www.leefang.com/p/national-endowment-for-democracy
How federal workers can organize to stop DOGE https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/with-elon-musk-on-the-way-out-federal
Trumpland https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/trumpland
Lebanese nun fights to save Alawites massacred in the 'new' Syria https://thegrayzone.substack.com/p/lebanese-nun-fights-to-save-alawites
World’s Top 111 Corporations Have Caused $28T in Climate Damages, Study Finds https://truthout.org/articles/worlds-top-111-corporations-have-caused-28t-in-climate-damages-study-finds/
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