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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

One In The Struggle

Written 1985 during Willie Nelson's Farm Aid projects

I am a farmer, I’m trying to grow some food

Locked in a system that don’t do me no good

They think I’m beneath them, like the dirt under my nails

I am a farmer, but my farm is up for sale

I am a worker making money for my boss

When times are good he profits, when they’re bad we take the loss

We’re treated like children: supervised all day

I’d quit in a minute, if I didn’t need the pay

And the bottom line is greed the

Bottom line is ignorance

the bottom line is fear, and the

Bottom line is power

And the bottom line is here and now

I have to realize

We’re all in this together

In the struggle to survive.

We are one in the fight

To take control of our lives.

We are one in the struggle,

We are one

I’m unemployed now

My job has taken flight

To some far country,

Where the workers have no rights

I’m deep in debt now

My insurance has expired

My wife is pregnant,

Some days I feel so tired

I am a refugee,

My country is at war

It’s the same old story,

The rich against the poor

And the rich get fatter on the

Lies the poor are fed

When I speak the truth,

They put a price upon my head

And the bottom line is greed...

We are one in the struggle,

We are one

I am a senior, living the golden years–

The pride of the drug firms, they’re playing on my fears–

And they’re mining my pockets to line their own with gold–

I am a senior, some days I feel so old

I am an Indian

I am an African

I am a woman

I am a homeless one

And the bottom line is greed, the

Bottom line is ignorance

the bottom line is fear, and the

Bottom line is power

And the bottom line is here and now

I have to realize

We’re all in this together

In the struggle to survive.

We are one in the fight

To take control of our lives

We are one in the struggle,

We are one

Malcolm McKinney

https://youtu.be/GkPuwO_5cyQ

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Thea Wood's avatar

This is fab! And certainly very relevant for today’s crazy climate.

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Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Thank you.

Current List of My Songs. Posted on Substack, Nov 19.

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Charles in San Francisco's avatar

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'll have to check some of these out (I've only heard one of them before). Here is something that just snagged my vote for song of the year. It is so new it isn't on streaming services yet; they just posted the MV to tease their new EP, which is about to drop. Band is Koiai, and the song is "Come See Me." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M87btwE1hZM. My mini-review: "A legitimate supergroup, despite two of the members still being teenagers. Their sound is a sizzling blend of jazz, funk and metal. This is from their second EP of 2024, with hopefully a lot more to come. Best new group I've heard in five years."

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Thea Wood's avatar

Liking the video! I’m following now on YouTube. Thx for the suggestion.

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Charles in San Francisco's avatar

I hope you decide they are interesting enough to write about! I have already written a couple of pieces about them, but no pride of ownership here! I value other perspectives on artists I like. By the way, are you subscribed to me? Around 80% of what I write about is women in music.

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