Holly Near - It Could Have Been Me (Live) video free download

(Lyrics and music by Holly Near © 1973)

From the album "A Live Album" © 1974

Holly Near (born June 6, 1949 in Ukiah, California) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, teacher, and activist for social change.

In 1970 four students were killed at Kent State while thousands protested the war. In 1974 ten thousand people gathered at Kent State to remind themselves that the war is not over.

Lyrics

It could have been me, but instead it was you

So I'll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two

I'll be a student of life, a singer of songs

A farmer of food and a righter of wrong

It could have been me, but instead it was you

And it may be me dear sisters and brothers

Before we are through

But if you can work for freedom

Freedom, freedom, freedom

If you can work for freedom, I can too

Students in Ohio, two hundred yards away

Shot down by a nameless fire one early day in May

Some people cried out angry "You should have shot more of them down

But you can't bury youth my friend

Youth grows the whole world round

It could have been me, but instead it was you

So I'll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two

I'll be a student of life, a singer of songs

A farmer of food and the righter of wrong

It could have been me, but instead it was you

And it may be me dear sisters and brothers

Before we are through

But if you can die for freedom

Freedom, freedom, freedom

If you can die for freedom, I can too

The Junta took the fingers from Victor Jara's hands

They said to the gentle poet "Play your guitar now if you can!"

Well Victor started singing until they shot his body down

You can kill a man but not his song

When it's sung the whole world round

And it could have been me, but instead it was you

So I'll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two

I'll be a student of life, a singer of songs

A farmer of food and a righter of wrong

It could have been me, but instead it was you

And it may be me dear sisters and brothers

Before we are through

But if you can sing for freedom

Freedom, freedom, freedom

If you can sing for freedom, I can too

A woman in the jungle so many wars away

Studies late into the night, defends a village in the day

Although her skin is golden like mine will never be

Her song is heard and I know the words

And I'll sing them until she's free

Twice

And it could have been me, but instead it was you

So I'll keep doing the work you were doing as if I were two

I'll be a student of life, a singer of songs

A farmer of food and a righter of wrong

It could have been me, but instead it was you

And it may be me dear sisters and brothers

Before we are through

But if you can live for freedom

Freedom, freedom, freedom

If you can live for freedom, I can too

I can too, I can too, I can too