“I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag”  by Joe McDonald is the Peace Song of the Day for November 9th. (Posting it today as a catchup session for the daily song.) You can find the words to this song in the Rise Up Singing songbook on page 160.

The most famous version is the one performed at Woodstock by Country Joe and The Fish. The video below is a cover, posted at Youtube. (It adds a mention of Iraq).

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Excerpt from the lyrics:

I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag
by Joe McDonald

Yeah, come on Wall Street, don’t be slow,
Why man, this war is a go-go
There’s plenty of good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade…

(Chorus)

And it’s one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it’s five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain’t no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we’re all gonna die.

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The Peace Song of the Day is a project of Duke Augustus and Duchess Susanna, The Duke and Duchess of Peace. The Duke and Duchess recognize that one of the paths to peace is to find soulful and nonviolent entertainment, and to express oneself with art and song.

We chose this song because it is written as a strong critique against war. And, it also mentions the “Wall Street” connection to militarism, in a way that resonates with the Occupy Wall Street movement.