Could we have done something differently to avoid such racial disparity and institutionalized inequality?
Lyrics
Why oh Why?
(Civil War lament)
by R. Bain written on various days in May-August 2017
©2017 Roger Bain
It festered through the years
Ignorance and hate
Still it lingers on
I hope it’s not too late
Why oh why
Did it have to be this way
Why oh why
Did it have to be this way
What cost to keep the union whole?
What cost to a poor man’s soul?
What cost to those in chains?
We can’t remove the stains
No matter what the law
The wounds are still so raw
break
No matter what we try
The blood will never dry
The fight can’t seem to die
Why oh why oh why
Did it have to be this way
Why oh why
Did it have to be this way
Instrumental bridge
You know that Johnny Reb
He was a friend of mine
And me and Union Jack
We get along just fine
What were they fighting for?
The right to be cruel, I guess
A sin without redress
That got us in this mess
Why oh why oh why
Did it have to be this way?