Originally posted in March 2014:
On all channels threatening news about Russia´s military intervention in Crimea... Hope there is a chance to de-escalete the situation. Maybe John Cale´s "Mercenaries (Ready For War)" is the fitting single for this dangerous situation.
Back in January 1980, with a nightmare awakening in Afghanistan, Thatcher getting comfortable at Downing Street, Reagan waiting to be inaugurated, and decades of mercenary-assisted bloodshed in Africa, John Cale released a topical single that he'd been playing live for a year or so. A rocking little ditty with prescient and sinister artwork, "Mercenaries (Ready for War)" was a studio recording of the lead-off track of the previous month's live LP of new material, Sabotage/Live.
The sleeve lists "Mercenaries" as being the same live version from the Sabotage album but it is actually a studio version exclusive to this single. It has not been re released since the master tapes have been lost!
"Mercenaries are usless, disunited, unfaithful
They have nothing more to keep them in a battle
Other than a meager wage
Which is just about enough to make them wanna kill for you
But never enough to make them wanna die for ya
I’m just another soldier boy
I’m just another soldier boy
Looking for work
Looking for work
Looking for work
My rifle is my friend
My rifle is my friend
I clean my rifle everyday
I clean my rifle everyday
That’s why my rifle is my friend
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Did some work in Zaire, the jolly old Belgian Congo
Went back to Geneva to get paid
Back there in Geneva, that’s were the money grows
That’s were the money grows, that’s were the money flows
They didn’t wanna pay me
They didn’t wanna pay me, but they did
Try to separate me from my money
is try to separate me from my life
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Let’s go to Moscow, let’s go to Moscow
Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go to Moscow
Fight a backdoor to the Kremlin
Push it down and walk on in
5000 feet and closing
Target visibility one nine
4000 feet and closing
Target visibility two six
3000 feet and closing
Target visibility seven nine
2000 feet and closing
Visibility one ten
1000 feet and closing
Visibility seven four
500 feet and closing
Target visibility zero!
Ready for war, ready for war
You better be ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war
Are you ready for war
Ready for war, ready for war"
John Cale - Mercenaries / Rosegarden Funeral Of Sores (Single)
(320 kbps, cover art included)
8 Kommentare:
Thanks a lot... two great songs.
'Mercenaries (ready for war)' is nearly as 'good' as my personal favorite by Negative Trend:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDE1tLNzFhM
In Angola, in Rhodesia
Johnny's got his gun in every country
War going on and the're killing nigger commies
Keeping Africa free
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Boys feel brave just like they should
There's lots of money to get rich on
Experts at death they spare no lives
Just pull the pin and count to five
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
A man among men a real fighting machine
He knows survival when his life's on the line
Guerrilla warfare?
It's assassination theory
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Heroes that die, blood running free
Faces shot to hell and missing an arm
They die for General Motors
They die for ITT
Johnny's gonna go to South Africa
Angola, Etheopia
To Chile, Cuba, Viet-Nam
Rhodesia, ready when you are... baby
Mercenaries kill for pay
Mercenaries die that way
Mercenaries kill for pay
Mercenaries die that way
In Angola, in Rhodesia
There's a war going on for you and me
They're killing people for you and me
Keeping America free
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... die that way
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries... kill for pay
Mercenaries
Dear Zerosounds. Thank you very much for posting "Ready For War". I saw John Cale live at the Lyceum in London in about 1980 and "Ready For War" was his best song that night. I bought the LP of Sabotage / Live. "Ready For War" was the best song on it. I did not know that John Cale actually recorded it in the studio until you in formed me on your blogspot. Thank you very much for posting this very rare song. It deserves to be better known. I am very grateful to you. From Johnnie K in Auckland New Zealand.
Lieber Zerosounds . Vielen Dank für "Ready For War " veröffentlichen . Ich sah John Cale am Lyceum in London leben in etwa 1980 und "Ready For War " war sein bester Song in dieser Nacht. Ich kaufte die LP von Sabotage / Live. "Ready For War " war der beste Song auf sie. Ich wusste nicht, dass John Cale es tatsächlich im Studio aufgenommen , bis Sie gebildet in mir auf Ihrer Blogspot . Vielen Dank für dieses sehr seltene Song veröffentlichen . Es verdient besser bekannt sein. Ich bin dir sehr dankbar. Von Johnnie K in Auckland Neuseeland.
Thanks a lot for sharing your memories. Had the chance to see John Cale live at the end of the 1980s and i was very impressed. Best wishes!
Thanks for re-sharing this music. Refreshing old links is a lot of work. Much effort and me much obliged.
You are welcome!
Why do you lie? There was no military intervention. Crimea's citizens voted for the accession to the Russia. They didn't want to stay with ukrainian fasсist and nationalism authority. Do you know what means "fascism"? Shame on you, repeating propaganda's lie.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_status_of_Crimea :
"However, Ukraine and the majority of the international community do not consider the merge, the independence, the referendum, nor the annexation legitimate and still consider both entities as parts of Ukraine. Despite international opinion however, the currency, tax and legal system are all operational under de facto Russian control."
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