Holly Near & Ronnie Gilbert - Two Good Arms
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Who will remember the hands so white and fine
Who touched the finest linen, who poured the finest wine?
Who will remember the careless words they spoke
To name the lives of two good men a nuisance or a joke?
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my two good hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
Who will remember Judge Webster Thayer?
With one hand on the gavel, the other resting on the chair
Who will remember the hateful words he said?
Speaking to the living in the language of the dead
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my two good hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
Who will remember the hand that pulled the switch?
To take the lives of two good men in the service of the rich?
Who will remember the one who gave the nod?
Or the Chaplain standing near at hand to invoke the name of god?
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my own two hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
We will remember this good shoemaker
We will remember this poor fish peddler
We will remember all the strong arms and hands
That never once found justice in the hands that rule this land
All who knew these two good men know they never had to rob or kill
They could live by their own two hands and live well
And all their lives they had struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
And all our lives we must struggle to rid the earth of all such crimes
Who touched the finest linen, who poured the finest wine?
Who will remember the careless words they spoke
To name the lives of two good men a nuisance or a joke?
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my two good hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
Who will remember Judge Webster Thayer?
With one hand on the gavel, the other resting on the chair
Who will remember the hateful words he said?
Speaking to the living in the language of the dead
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my two good hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
Who will remember the hand that pulled the switch?
To take the lives of two good men in the service of the rich?
Who will remember the one who gave the nod?
Or the Chaplain standing near at hand to invoke the name of god?
All who knew these two good arms know I never had to rob or kill
I could live by my own two hands and live well
And all my life I have struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
We will remember this good shoemaker
We will remember this poor fish peddler
We will remember all the strong arms and hands
That never once found justice in the hands that rule this land
All who knew these two good men know they never had to rob or kill
They could live by their own two hands and live well
And all their lives they had struggled to rid the earth of all such crimes
And all our lives we must struggle to rid the earth of all such crimes
