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Oil Blockade

from Strangers & Friends by David Rovics

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Oil Blockade

Standing here on this precipice, on the edge of a world at war
Such a stark resemblance to events of a century before
When you begin the story is how the story shall be defined
But to understand this history, we must start earlier, rewind (to)

Before the Pearl Harbor bombing raid
During the oil blockade

The conflict had been brewing for several decades at least
Increasing competition for control of the East
The fight for domination by the empires of the day
Came down to the Land of the Rising Sun and the USA

The Japanese Empire needed Indonesian oil
But then across the Pacific Ocean, so far from American soil
The US Navy made a stand to starve Japan of fuel
An act of war meant to provoke the next move in this duel

They still call it a sneak attack, as if it were unprovoked
History starts in Hawaii, the century prior – revoked
How we look back at the present, before the bombs began to burst
Will the histories of the future say the Ayatollah fired first

With imperial plans being made
In a new oil blockade

Standing here on this precipice, on the edge of a world at war

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from Strangers & Friends, released December 16, 2019

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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