Teach Your Children Well, by Graham Nash
You, who are on the road, must have a code that you can live by
and so become yourselves, because the past is just a goodbye.
Teach your children well; their father's hell did slowly go by
and feed them on your dreams, the one they pick(s), the ones you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why - if they told you, you would cry
so just look at them and sigh, and know they love you.
And you of tender years can't know the fears that your elders grew by
And so please help them with your youth
they seek the truth before they can die.
Teach your parents well, their childrens' hell will slowly go by
and feed them on your dreams, the one they picks, the one you'll know by
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you you would cry
so just look at them and sigh, and know they love you.
Nash was inspired to write this song as a result of a photograph of a kid with a toy hand grenade, playing in Central Park in Manhattan NY. He felt concerned that his generation and the one before his were teaching the glorification of violence and war.
Basically - it's a war protest song in lullabye form.
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