Kinky's History Lesson - The Waterboys

Dear Kinky Friedman, I read what you wrote

Neville Chamberlain surrender monkeys — yup, that was your quote

Well, we all say stupid things sometimes, so here with my blessing

Kinky Friedman, this is your history lesson

Chamberlain declared war on the 3rd of September

The US wasn’t involved, as I remember

And after Poland fell, then Belgium and France

Britain stood alone with barely a chance

We faced Hitler down, he unleashed the blitz

A hundred nine elevens that left London in bits

But we never caved in, Britain never surrendered

No petition for peace, Kinky, was ever fuckin' tendered

Oh, Kinky Friedman

Dude, quit your messin'

And listen up good

This is your history lesson

Roosevelt helped us with armaments and food

His vision was sure and his policy good

He’d have brought the USA into the war on our side

But the isolationists had both his hands tied

Stay out, stay out was your public’s demand

Till Japan hit Pearl Harbour and that forced your hand

Then your boys fought like lions but so the hell did ours

And only an asshole, Kinky, could call the British cowards

Oh, Kinky Friedman

Take some quiet time processing

These words of mine

Your history lesson

And here’s a casualty count for you to muse upon, man

Military personnel and civilians killed in the theatre of World War two

USA: four hundred and nineteen thousand and four hundred

Great Britain: four hundred and fifty thousand and nine hundred

And just to keep perspective

USSR: twenty-seven million… or thereabouts

Yeah, war is no joke

And my friend you misspoke

Or so I’m guessin'

But take this well, buddy

And may it ease your soul

Kinky Friedman this has been

Your history lesson