American Folk Song Group - 'Peter, Paul and Mary'

Yesterday I watched a documentary about an American folk song group 'Peter, Paul and Mary' on PBS.

They are the original singers of many famous songs in the 1960s-70s such as :

If I had a Hammer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKvpONl3No

San Franciso Bay Blues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OL-GIBRzGc

When I heard the song 'El Salvador', it made my skin crawled. This song reflected what also happened in Cambodia, where my husband was from. I am glad that there are Americans who have the courage to sing these songs that reflect the wrongdoings of their government.

EL SALVADOR
Noel Paul Stookey and Jim Wallis-
©1983 Neworld Media Music ASCAP

Sung by Peter, Paul and Mary http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/

There's a sunny little country south of Mexico
Where the winds are gentle and the waters flow
But breezes aren't the only things that blow in El Salvador

If you took the little lady for a moonlight drive
Odds are still good you'd come back alive
But everyone is innocent until they arrive in El Salvador

If the rebels take a bus on the grand highway
The government destroys a village miles away
The man on the radio says 'now we'll play South of the Border'
And in the morning the natives say,We're happy you have lived another day
Last night a thousand more passed away in El Salvador

There's a television crew here from ABC
Filming Rio Lempe and the refugees
Calling murdered children the 'tragedy' of El Salvador

Before the government cameras 20 feet away
Another man is asking for continued aid
Food and medicine and hand grenades for El Salvador

There's a thump, a rumble, and the buildings sway
A soldier fires the acid spray
The public address system starts to play South of the Border
You run for cover and hide your eyes
You hear the screams from paradise
They've fallen further than you realize in El Salvador

Just like Poland is 'protected' by her Russian friends
The junta is 'assisted' by Americans
And if 60 million dollars seems too much to spend in El Salvador

They say for half a billion they could do it right
Bomb all day, burn all night
Until there's not a living thing upright in El Salvador

They'll continue training troops in the USA
And watch the nuns that got away
And teach the military bands to play South of the Border
And kill the people to set them free
Who put this price on their liberty?
Don't you think it's time to leave El Salvador?