Criminal Heroes

Witches’ ashes, plantation lashes
I long for the day the patriarchy crashes
Our bloody history is a tale of misery
So the sorrowful plight of today is no mystery
Big Brother manages brown skin in bandages
Safeguarded wealth, badges with advantages

Oh, don’t let hope be a bad word
What if all the prayers for our children could be answered
By criminal heroes?

Greta cut school, she broke the rules
She said, “The eyes of all future generations are upon you”

Rosa traveled far, from bus to cop car
To every home in America forever in our hearts

Nelson’s predicament was twenty seven years imprisonment
Pickaxes and porridge on the road to president

Susan’s voice resounded, though her vote was never counted
She was punished by the law for having faith that moved a mountain

Oh, don’t let hope be a bad word
What if all the prayers for our children could be answered
By criminal heroes?

Let’s arm ourselves with poetry and song
Gather in the streets and march on
They can pin us down with their chains
But they’ll never stop the power of change

Let’s be the criminal heroes

Musicians
Jesse Strickman - vocals, acoustic and electric guitars
McKay Garner - drums, percussion, intro sound design, and chains
Lewis Patzner - cello
Kevin Goldberg - acoustic upright bass

Recorded by
McKay Garner at McKay Mix (Oakland, CA), Maryam Qudus and Jacob Winik at Tiny Telephone (San Francisco, CA) and Nixie Davidsohn at Music Barn (Nipomo, CA)

Mixed & Mastered by
McKay Garner

Produced & Arranged by
Jesse Strickman
McKay Garner

Additional harmony vocal arrangement by Joshua Michael
Additional string arrangement by Lewis Patzner

Written by
Jesse Strickman