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You'll Be a Man

Malvina Reynolds
Language: English


Malvina Reynolds

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(Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp Songbook)


[1969]
Lyrics & Music by Malvina Reynolds
Album: Malvina

malvinathebellman
They'll make a man of you, my son.
You'll wear the green beret
And answer every question with a gun.

You'll wear a uniform, a signet on your sleeve.
You'll have a power that you never would believe.
And any problem that you meet,
You'll put a bullet through its head
Till everything that moves -is dead.

When your time's up and you've returned,
They'll take your gun away
But not the tricks you've learned.

You'll wear a uniform, the neat civilian brown,
Your hair the proper cut, the proper part of town,
And any problem that you meet,
You'll stamp it bloody with your feet,
Or roll it in barbed wire and get it off the street.

And any idea that you cannot comprehend,
You'll put the handcuffs on and that will be the end,
And anything that grows – you'll cover with cement..
They'll Make a Man of You, my son.

Contributed by giorgio - 2010/12/26 - 09:01



Language: Italian

Versione italiana di Lela Mee
SARAI UN UOMO

Faranno di te un uomo, figlio mio
Indosserai il berretto verde
E risponderai ad ogni domanda con un fucile.

Indosserai un’uniforme, un nastrino sulla tua manica.
Avrai un potere che non immagineresti mai.
E ogni problema che incontrerai,
Gli ficcherai una pallottola in testa
Finché ogni cosa che si muove sarà morta.

Quando il tuo periodo sarà finito e sarai tornato,
Ti porteranno via il tuo fucile
Ma non i trucchi che hai imparato.

Indosserai un’uniforme, quella civile marrone e ben curata,
I tuoi capelli con il taglio appropriato, la parte appropriata della città,
E ogni problema che incontrerai,
Lo calpesterai dannatamente con i tuoi piedi,
O lo arrotolerai nel filo spinato e lo toglierai dalla strada.

E ogni idea che non saprai comprendere,
Metterai le manette e quella sarà la fine,
E ogni cosa che cresce - la coprirai col cemento.
Faranno di Te un Uomo, figlio mio.

Contributed by Lela Mee - 2016/4/13 - 17:55




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