Although Rovics is not strongly associated with any particular political or ideological movement, his lyrics and recorded interviews encompass a wide range of left-wing, humanitarian interests. He has suggested a commonality or synthesis between these varied ideologies in several of his radio interviews, and cites his music as a means to disseminate these ideas. His provocative and catchy lyrics bring to mind a modern-day Woody Guthrie or Phil Ochs.
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We Just Want the World
David Rovics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And debating on the hill
Of all your crazy antics
We'll all have had our fill
We'll be closing down munitions plants
And Old Glory will be furled
'Cause we don't want your big machines
We just want the world
And a bill will be proposed
Section number one
We're shutting down the oil rigs
And turning towards the sun
The air will be clean
For all the boys and girls
'Cause we don't want your oil tankers
We just want the world
Face the executioner
Shut the logging camps all down
Get busy planting hemp
Leave the trees there in the ground
Life is too precious
On this little, spinning pearl
We don't want your bulldozers
We just want the world
We'll be closing down the jails
And fixing up the schools
Distributing those stocks and bonds
Changing all the rules
We'll elect a CEO
Maybe a rabbit or a squirrel
'Cause we don't want your money
We just want the world
We'll be swimming in the rivers
And running to the hills
Reading in the history books
Of wars and oil spills
If it's linear we'll bend it
If it's a straight line it'll curl
'Cause we don't want your dead-end highway
We just want the world
When we're living in the White House
And debating on the hill
Of all your crazy antics
We'll all have had our fill
We'll be closing down munitions plants
And Old Glory will be furled
'Cause we don't want your big machines
We just want the world
The song "We Just Want the World" by David Rovics is a protest song advocating for a world free from war, pollution, deforestation, and corporate greed. The song speaks of a utopian vision where people reject the militarized industrial complex dominating the world and instead strive for a peaceful, harmonious coexistence with nature. The lyrics call for shutting down the oil rigs, closing down munitions plants, planting hemp, improving schools, and taking care of the environment.
The first verse imagines a scenario where the singer and their comrades have successfully taken over the White House, and they are debating over the future of the country. The singer asserts that they are tired of "crazy antics" and calls for the dismantling of the military-industrial complex. The second verse calls for a shift towards renewable energy sources, such as solar power, while closing down oil rigs to make the environment a cleaner place. The third verse advocates for environmental protection and the planting of hemp, while leaving trees intact. The fourth verse wants to close down jails, fix school systems, and redistribute wealth to make things more equitable. The final verse imagines a world where people are in tune with nature, and they work to create a sustainable and peaceful society.
The song "We Just Want the World" highlights the deepening concerns over environmental degradation, global inequality, and social justice. It also demonstrates the resilience of protest music, where art can serve as a catalyst for political and social change.
Line by Line Meaning
When we're living in the White House
When we've risen to a position of high power and influence
And debating on the hill
And engaging in political decision-making at the highest level
Of all your crazy antics
Of all your crazy and destructive actions
We'll all have had our fill
We'll all be sick of it and ready for change
We'll be closing down munitions plants
We'll be shutting down places that make weapons and ammunition
And Old Glory will be furled
And the American flag will be lowered or put away
'Cause we don't want your big machines
Because we don't want your large, environmentally destructive machines
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
And a bill will be proposed
And a new law will be suggested
Section number one
The first part of the law
We're shutting down the oil rigs
We're closing down the structures that extract and drill for oil
And turning towards the sun
And shifting our focus to solar energy
The air will be clean
The air will be free of pollution and harmful emissions
For all the boys and girls
For the sake of the health and safety of all children
'Cause we don't want your oil tankers
Because we don't want your large, oil-carrying ships
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
Face the executioner
Confront the person responsible for harmful actions
Shut the logging camps all down
Close the sites where trees are cut down and harvested for commercial use
Get busy planting hemp
Start cultivating hemp, a versatile and sustainable crop
Leave the trees there in the ground
Leave the trees standing and undisturbed
Life is too precious
The value of life is too high to ignore
On this little, spinning pearl
On this small, yet vital planet
We don't want your bulldozers
We don't want your large, earthmoving machines
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
We'll be closing down the jails
We'll be shutting down the institutions that imprison people
And fixing up the schools
And improving the quality of education for all
Distributing those stocks and bonds
Redistributing wealth and resources more fairly
Changing all the rules
Fundamentally altering the way we do things
We'll elect a CEO
We'll choose a leader, perhaps a non-human one like a rabbit or squirrel
Maybe a rabbit or a squirrel
Perhaps even a small and unassuming creature can lead us to a better future
'Cause we don't want your money
Because we don't want your wealth or resources that come at the expense of the environment and society
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
We'll be swimming in the rivers
We'll be enjoying clean and healthy freshwater sources
And running to the hills
And finding refuge and peace in natural surroundings
Reading in the history books
Learning from the past
Of wars and oil spills
Of the devastating consequences of conflict and environmental destruction
If it's linear we'll bend it
If something is rigid and inflexible, we'll make it more adaptable
If it's a straight line it'll curl
We'll make even the most structured and organized things more fluid and dynamic
'Cause we don't want your dead-end highway
Because we don't want your harmful and unsustainable transportation systems
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
When we're living in the White House
When we've risen to a position of high power and influence
And debating on the hill
And engaging in political decision-making at the highest level
Of all your crazy antics
Of all your crazy and destructive actions
We'll all have had our fill
We'll all be sick of it and ready for change
We'll be closing down munitions plants
We'll be shutting down places that make weapons and ammunition
And Old Glory will be furled
And the American flag will be lowered or put away
'Cause we don't want your big machines
Because we don't want your large, environmentally destructive machines
We just want the world
We just want a healthy and sustainable earth
Contributed by Elizabeth S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.