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Free John Zarb

from Honest Man by John Flanagan Trio

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lyrics

Free John Zarb
Set him free
What kind of country do we want to be
Put a man in a cell just for what he believes?
Free John Zarb
Set him free

It’s 1968
Bobby and MLK both meet their fate
US soldiers gun down, rape and pillage
Women and children in a Vietnam village
In Australia, we’ve still got conscription
A precious few stand by their convictions
You can defer service if you get a degree
You don’t have to stand up and disagree

(So we’ve got an army of public servants and tradies
And we’ve got Farnsy singing Sadie the Cleaning Lady)

John Zarb, a postman, refuses the call
His objection to Vietnam, is his downfall
The judge said, “John, it’s written in law”
You can’t object to one specific war
Only a staunch pacificist can walk free
And that’s not what you claim to be”
The man stands up with courage, doesn’t try to hide
And now he’s doing two years on the inside

Free John Zarb…

John rides out his incarceration
While the anti-war sentiment grows across the Nation
All around Melbourne ‘Free John Zarb’ is written
Protesters March Sydney Rd, up to Pentridge prison

John’s family’s is struggling just to survive
16 bucks a week they’re just scraping by
Dad’s too sick to work and Mum’s not much better
Recovering cancer, 3 sons, she’s holding it all together

Free John Zarb…

August 1969
They say John Zarb has done enough time
And on the same day that he walks free
They pin a medal for bravery
On Ray Simpson, hero under fire
Almost killed saving his men’s lives
Two kinds of courage on display
Two heroes walked tall on that day

Free John Zarb…

Set him free...

credits

from Honest Man, released April 20, 2018

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John Flanagan Thornbury, Australia

From the Cygnet Folk Festival in Tasmania to the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia John Flanagan has won over fans far and wide. Audiences are drawn to the original but timeless melodies and deeply honest lyricism of the song-writing. Combining traditional old-time instrumentation with contemporary sensibilities John creates an alt-folk sound that is old and new at the same time. ... more

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