LIFE AIN'T EASY

 Lyrics : Ian McLeish*
Music by : Larry Gatsos
 
 

1.
   When you go to sunday school -
    They try to teach you the Golden Rule ;
    'Do unto others as they do unto you' -
    That gets perverted in the hands of fools...
    Life ain't easy...

2.
    This world's a disaster, fundamentalists reign ;
    Stop evolution, turn back the clock again -
    Might is right and the dollar rules -
    Digital technology supporting military coups -
    Life ain't easy...

Bridge 1.
    Every nation, each generation, repeating the same old tired refrain -
    A million mothers' tragic tears won't bring the dead back to life again -
    You'd think that after all this time we'd have it finally figured out :
    That killing and destruction begins with but a shout...

    Tiannamen - Sarajevo - Belfast - Rwanda
    Palestine - Kuwait - Beirut - Somalia

3.
    Botuswana and Vietnam -
    Nicaragua and Afghanistan -
    A death squad's a death squad, though the names may change -
    Sandinistas, KGB and KKK - and the IRA - and the CIA...
    Life ain't easy...

Bridge 2.
    Hunger walks in human steps, streets filled with despair ;
    Creative cruelty knows no bounds God's name does not repair -
    Violence is childhood pain, inflicted back on others -
    It seems to me the biggest joke is that all men are brothers -
    Life ain't easy...
 

* Original Version Copyright: 1980: Larry Gatsos & Richard Petrashek
*Original Version Published: 1980  Copernicus Music BMI & McMusic Ltd. CAPAC

New Lyrics Copyright: 1994 Ian McLeish
Renewed: 1994 Copernicus Music BMI & Mousehole Music SOCAN
 

CHUCK : Drums.
 IAN : Bass, organ, vocals.
JOHN : Electric guitars.

Michael Hicks : Organ.
 

Life Ain't Easy - Toronto, Summer 1980 / Ottawa, Winter 1994.
Larry was the guitar player and Richard the lyricist/producer for the rock musical 'Amazon Women' that Chuck and Ian worked on in 1980. This song was featured in that show. But I loved the music and decided to re-write the lyrics after the show ended. The stupidity and futility of humanity's ongoing struggles constantly amazes me. Will we ever learn from the past? I doubt it.