This song by Steve Earle could have been about Cheney's JSOC assassination squad

[derby378]

This song haunts me every time I hear it. Thanks to Sy Hersh, Admiral McRaven is starting to sound a lot like the "Colonel" figure in The Gringo's Tale:

Beggin' your pardon there, stranger
You look like you're new to this town
We're a long way away from the beach here
You won't see many gringos around
Well, I come from west Colorado
And I've wandered this world far and wide
I've lived for some years in the shadows
And my eyes aren't used to this light
If you buy me a strong drink of whiskey
I will tell you the tale of my life
It's long and it's sad, but it fits me
And it may bring a tear to your eye

All the men of my family were solidiers
The hard-fightin', straight-talkin' kind
When my turn came, all that was over
But I'd already made up my mind
I was there when we blew though Grenada
And I still have to ask myself why
Then we took down that fool Noriega
That's where I caught the good Colonel's eye
Well, he asked me if I loved my country
And before I had time to reply
He regaled me with tales of past glories
And I believed every one of his lies

So I left my old life behind me
Turned my back on my family and friends
And I did everything that they asked me
And I lost some sleep now and again
And I lived like a thief and assassin
And I smuggled their poisons sometimes
Until I asked the wrong question in passing
And the Colonel himself dropped the dime

So if you're ever in west Colorado
Tell the folks in Durango goodbye
There's a price on my head and I can't go
So I'll just wait around here 'til I die

[islandmkl]

1. i love me some Steve...

I volunteered for the Army on my birthday
They draft the white trash first,'round here anyway
I done two tours of duty in Vietnam
And I came home with a brand new plan
I take the seed from Colombia and Mexico
I plant it up the holler down Copperhead Road
Well the D.E.A.'s got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I'm back over there
I learned a thing or two from ol' Charlie don't you know
You better stay away from Copperhead Road

[derby378]

2. Another good Steve Earle song

:hi:

[islandmkl]

3. if you haven't already...

check out Steve, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt live at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville from '95...

it's available cd...or torrent, if you do that...

[derby378]

4. Damn, that sounds good

I'm old-fashioned in that regard. It's the CD for me. :hi: