John Lennon - Attica State Lyrics

"Free all prisoners everywhere
"? I mean, c'mon, John...

Ugh, I know, right? I absolutely adore John and have always thought this song to be really catchy, but I cringe every time I hear that lyric, especially in light of what would happen to him just a handful of years later.

Freeing unfairly prisoned political captives is one thing; it's another to say "free all prisoners everywhere."

But then again, maybe I'm just misunderstanding him. My boy was such a tough one to figure out!

Ironically, Mark Chapman was imprisoned in Attica State. Great song.

I think it's fair to suggest this album was made at a time when Lennon wasn't yet worrying about being deported.

'Free all prisoners everywhere' but seemingly not Mark Chapman

yikes....

The story behind the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9777CEDUaI

What a waste of human power
What a waste of human lives
Shoot the prisoners in the towers
Forty-three poor widowed wives
Attica state, attica state
We're all mates with attica state
Media blames it on the prisoners
But the prisoners did not kill
"Rockefeller pulled the trigger"
That is what the people feel
Attica state, attica state
We're all mates with attica state
Free the prisoners, jail the judges
Free all prisoners everywhere
All they want is truth and justice
All they need is love and care
Attica state, attica state
We're all mates with attica state
They all live in suffocation
Let's not watch them die in sorrow
Now's the time for revolution
Give them all a chance to grow
Attica state, attica state
We're all mates with attica state
Come together join the movement
Take a stand for human rights
Fear and hatred clouds our judgment
Free us all from endless night
Attica state, attica state
We're all mates with attica state
Attica state, attica state
We all live in attica state
Attica state, attica state
Attica, attica, attica state
Songwriters: John Lennon / Yoko Ono