we're born in a prison
raised in a prison
sent to a prison called school
we cry in a prison
we love in a prison
we dream in a prison like fools
wood becomes a flute when it's loved
reach for yourself and your battered mates mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
look in the mirror and see your shattered fate we live with no reason
kicked around for no reason
thrown out without reason like tools
we work in a prison
and hate in a prison
and die in a prison as a rule
wood becomes a flute when it's loved
reach for yourself and your battered mates mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
look in the mirror and see your shattered fate we live in a prison
among judges and wardens
and wait for no reason for you
we laugh in a prison
go through all four seasons
and die with no vision of truth
wood becomes a flute when it's loved
reach for yourself and your battered mates mirror becomes a razor when it's broken
look in the mirror and see your shattered fate
Yoko Ono , New York 1972
Approximately Infinite Universe
in this approximately infinite universe
i know a girl who is in constant hell
no love or pill could keep her cool
cause there's thousand holes in her heart
and the wind of the past blows through her heart
reminding her of the people she killed
wind of now
blows off her cool
telling her there's something she missed
you know a town called sapporo, she says
where men talk rough and never sing
two bottles of loneliness
patching the holes in her dream
in this approximately infinite universe
i know a girl who is raising constant hell
no love or bottle could fix her good
cause there's thousand holes in her head
and the wind of the future
blows through her head
saying there's no point of return
the wind of the universe
blows off her soul
telling her there's nowhere to go
i wanna sleep wanna sleep, she says
and take her fix to bed
two bottles of loneliness
patching the holes in her dreamYoko Ono, 1973
Woman Power
you've heard of woman nation
well, that's coming, baby
what we need is the power to trust
that it's coming
you've heard of the law of selection
well, that's how we're gonna do it, baby
we allow men who wanna join us
but the rest can stay by themselves
woman power!
woman power!
two thousand years of male tyranny
seeking grades and money
clinging to values and phony
woman power!
woman power!
do you know that one day you lost your way, man
do you know that some day you have to pay, man
do you have anything to say, man, except "make no mistake, i'm the president, you hear!"
"i wanna make one thing clear i'm the president, you hear!"
woman power!
woman power!
you don't hear them singing songs
you don't see them living life
'cause they've got nothing to say, but
"make no mistake, i'm the president, you hear!"
"i wanna make one thing clear i'm the president, you hear!"
woman power!
woman power!
you may still be the president now
you may still be a man
but you must also be human
so open up and join us living
woman power!
woman power!
in the coming age of feminine society
we'll regain our human dignity
we'll lay some truth and clarity
and bring back nature's beauty
woman power!
woman power!
every woman has a song to sing
every woman has a story to tell
and make no mistake about it, brothers
we women have the power to move the mountainsYoko Ono , 1973
Attica Prison
what a waste of human power
what a waste of human lives
shoot the prisoners in the towers
forty-three poor widowed wives
attica state, attica state, we're all mates with attica state
media blames it on the prisoners
but the prisoners did not kill
"rockefeller pulled the trigger"
that is what the people feel
attica state, attica state, we're all mates with attica state
free the prisoners, jail the judges
free all prisoners everywhere
all they want is truth and justice
all they need is love and care
attica state, attica state, we're all mates with attica state
they all live in suffocation
let's not watch them die in sorrow
now's the time for revolution
give them all a chance to grow
attica state, attica state, we're all mates with attica state
come together join the movement
take a stand for human rights
fear and hatred clouds our judgement
free us all from endless night
attica state, attica state, we're all mates with attica state
attica state, attica state, we all live in attica state attica state, attica state, attica, attica, attica state
John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York 1972
In 1971, at Attica State Prison, four days after rioting prisoners had taken prison guards hostage, 1,000 New York State troopers blasted into the prison, killing 28 prisoners and nine hostages. Initial reports by the authorities claimed that the hostage deaths were at the hands of vengeful prisoners, but an investigation later discredited that assertion.
Later on in 1971, John and Yoko appeared at a benefit concert for families of victims of the Attica State Prison riots in New York. John performed acoustic versions of Imagine and Attica State.
by John Robertson:
woman is the nigger of the world
yes she is...think about it
woman is the nigger of the world
think about it...do something about it
we make her paint her face and dance
if she won't be a slave, we say that she don't love us
if she's real, we say she's trying to be a man while putting her down, we pretend that she's above us
woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
woman is the slave of the slaves
ah, yeah...better scream about it
we make her bear and raise our children
and then we leave her flat for being a fat old mother hen
we tell her home is the only place she should be then we complain that she's too unworldly to be our friend
woman is the nigger of the world...yes she is
if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
woman is the slave to the slaves yeah...alright...hit it!
we insult her every day on TV
and wonder why she has no guts or confidence when she's young we kill her will to be free
while telling her not to be so smart we put her down for being so dumb
woman is the nigger of the world yes she is...
if you don't believe me, take a look at the one you're with
woman is the slave to the slaves yes she is...
if you believe me, you better scream about it
we make her paint her face and dance
we make her paint her face and dance
we make her paint her face and dance
we make her paint her face and dance
we make her paint her face and dance
we make her paint her face and dance
John Lennon and Yoko Ono , New York City 1972 .
