Memory and Make-Believe

[Inspired by Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States"]

The film came out in ’39, longest ever at the time,
About a book about an old plantation
Atlanta-town was burning down, but sipping sweet tea in a ballroom gown
Made Clayton County feel like a vacation

Memory and make-believe are often one and the same
Frankly, I don’t give a damn for either

The good old days were grand if you had money, time, and land
And everybody seems to think they’d be there

In eighteen-hundred sixty-three the papers said he’d set them free
The war was dragging on and it was bloody
Despite the things you might have heard, a careful look at every word
Showed it would not apply to everybody

We fought for justice, fought for hate,
Fought for these United States
Fought for land and industry and cotton
Answers ’bout who paid the cost,
And what was won and what was lost,
Might depend on who you choose to call on

So when a stranger slides up to the bar - don't much matter where you are -
And says: “I think just one more drink will fix me”
And talks about a way of life, a rebel stand, and sacrifice,
You might as well just let the band play “Dixie”

Who am I to say you wouldn’t be there...?