More than 44 (Homage to Victor Jara)

I first heard about him in the summer of 84

Old Joe Strummer blaring through the window next door

He said Please remember Victor Jara in the Santiago stadium

Oh, es verdad those Washington bullets again

But I couldn't remember what I didn't even know

But I knew for sure that I could trust old Joe

So I looked where I could and here is what I found

He was a man of the people if there ever was

And he sang his songs about justice and love

For the people and each other and their home and land

Everyone together, every woman every man.

The winds of the people started blowing strong

And they blew through Victor and they carried his song

And they gave his song a purpose as Violeta would say

He said Let's go to Cochabamba take the wide highway

We got the right to live in peace and leave hatred behind

I remember you Amanda how your face did shine

Cuz love makes life eternal in five minutes time

Between life and death is such a narrow line

But Operation Condor and the CIA

Feared the justice and love of the people's new way

They disappeared thousands all over the land

But they can't wash his blood from their dirty hands

They put 44 bullets in his body

To try to keep his message down

Try to keep his love from spreading around

They put 44 bullets in his body

Then they threw his body on the street

Like they wouldn't even do with a piece of meat

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!

Now 50 years have come and gone

And here we are still singing his song

And the ones that killed him all died in shame

And the place where he died it bears his name

And almost every town in Chile has a street

That's named after Victor, hate can never defeat

The love that he planted when he sang his song

And it keeps getting bigger and growing strong

Cuz they can never put out love's eternal flame

And if you live in hate you're gonna die in shame

And all you need is love and you can't keep it down

It keeps on blooming everywhere around

They put 44 bullets in his body

To try to keep his message down

Try to keep his love from spreading around

They put 44 bullets in his body

But I guess it takes more than 44

Cuz his keeps growing and I know there's more

Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah