Which Side Are You On?
Ani DiFranco Lyrics

They stole a few elections,
Despite stolen elections, the people won and voted out corruption and big corporations.

Still we the people won
The people managed to win despite electoral fraud.

We voted out corruption and
Elected officials were voted out of their positions because of their corrupt practices.

Big corporations
Large, powerful corporations were also overthrown by this voting process.

We voted for an end to war
The election results showed that the people wanted the end of the war.

New direction
This was a call for a new direction for the country.

We ain't gonna stop now
There's no stopping now; the momentum must continue.

Until our job is done
The task of creating change is not yet completed.

Come on all good workers
The call to action is directed at all the hard-working people.

This year is our time
This year represents a time of change, a new era for the people.

Now there some folks in Washington
There are people in power in Washington who pay no heed to the concerns of the people.

Who cares what's on our minds
These politicians are indifferent to the needs and opinions of the people.

Come one-come all voters
All voters, regardless of political affiliation, are encouraged to exercise their right to vote.

Lets all vote next time
A call for more people to vote in future elections.

Show 'em which side are you on now
A call to display one's political stance and beliefs.

Which side are you on
A question that everyone must ask themselves about their political beliefs.

30 years of diggin'
30 years of digging a hole for ourselves.

Got us in this hole
This hole is a result of past decisions and policies taken by the country.

The curse of reaganomics
The negative consequences of Reaganomics policy that are still felt today.

Has finally taken it's toll
These effects have finally caught up to us and must be addressed.

Lord knows the free market
The free market is not as free as it is thought to be.

Is anything but free
The free market has several hidden costs that must be accounted for.

It costs dearly to the planet
The environment is one of the costs the free market takes from us.

And the likes of you and me
The average person is also paying the price for the free market economy.

I don't need those money lenders
We can do without the financial institutions that serve only their own interests.

Suckin' on my tit
These financial institutions feeding off of the rest of us.

A little socialism
The idea of socialism doesn't scare the singer.

Don't scare me one bit!
In fact, the artist believes that socialism may be a solution to our problems.

We could do a whole lot worse
We would be much worse off if we continued on our current path.

Than europe or canada
Other countries, such as Europe and Canada, could be examples for us to follow.

C'mon mr. president
A call to the President to take action.

C'mon congress make the law
A call to Congress to take action and make the necessary changes.

They say in orleans parish
There are claims that in this area, there are no neutral parties.

There are no neutrals there
Everyone must choose a political side in Orleans Parish.

There's just too much misery
This attitude exists because of the amount of misery present in the area.

There's too much despair
The people in the area have lost hope and feel powerless.

America who are we
A question about the identity of America in the modern day.

Now our innocence is gone
We can no longer claim to be innocent in the face of the problems we have caused.

Too many stories written
Too often in history, there have been stories of injustice and oppression.

Out in black and white
These stories have been documented and cannot be ignored.

C'mon people of privilege
A call to those who are privileged to join the fight against oppression and injustice.

It's time to join the fight
Those who have privilege must use it to help those who are less fortunate.

Are we living in the shadow of slavery
Is America still dealing with the effects of its historical legacy of slavery?

Or are we moving on
Has America moved past its history of slavery and oppression?

Tell me which side are you on now
A request to make one's political beliefs clear.

Which side are you on
A question everyone must ask themselves about their political ideals.

Which side are you on boys
A rhetorical device to call again to political beliefs.

My mother was a feminist
The artist's mother was an advocate of gender equality.

She taught me to see
The singer's mother taught her to see the world from a feminist perspective.

That the road to ruin is paved
The path to destruction is laid with patriarchy.

With patriarchy
The singer blames patriarchy for many of society's problems.

So, let the way of the women
The artist is advocating for the female point of view to be considered more.

Guide democracy
This viewpoint should be integrated into the democratic process.

From plunder and pollution
The singer wants to address the issue of pollution through a feminist point of view.

Let mother earth be free
A call for environmental policies that care for the earth.

Feminism ain't about women
The movement for female equality affects everyone, not just women.

No, that's not who it is for
It's not a battle of women versus men, but rather of equality for all.

It's about a shifting consciousness
The idea of feminism is about changing the way people think about gender roles.

That'll bring an end to war
The singer believes that a change in gender roles will help bring about an end to violent conflict.

So listen up you fathers
A call to fathers to be more involved in the feminist movement.

Listen up you sons
A call to male youth to consider the implications of gender roles in society.

Are we just consumers
A rhetorical question about the role of the people in society.

Or are we citizens
The singer is advocating for people to be more politically active and aware.

Are we gonna make more garbage
This is a call to be more mindful of our impact on the environment.

Or are we gonna make amends
We need to make changes to our behaviors to help the environment.

Are you part of the solution
This is a call to action, asking people whether or not they are actively trying to address societal problems.

Or are you part of the con?
The singer believes that some people are complicit in perpetuating societal problems, rather than attempting to address them.

Which side are you on now
A repeated question urging people to consider their political beliefs.

Which side are you on?
A call to action and an invitation to take part in the fight for social justice.