I Don't Fight for Conquerors

I didn't fight for the Romans I fought for the Christians and Greece But when Christians turned into Crusaders I prayed for their tribes to decrease And I didn't fight for the Spanish, French, Portuguese or Dutch When their ships sailed into the Indies I said look but do not touch And I didn't fight for the English When the colonies had to go But I have to say, the very next day I was fightin for Geronimo And I don't like to kill Never have and never will But I will fight for freedom Though the battle be uphill And I don't fight for conquerors Even if they're presidents They try to buy me with dollars They must think I've got no sense And I don't keep my silence When my country bombs a town Cause I don't fight for conquerors I fight to bring them down I didn't fight for the Ottomans Or the empire of the czar When they asked me to kill in their colonies I said who do you think you are? And I didn't fight for the Nazis No, I fought for the Jews And when Israel asked me to conquer You know I had to refuse I didn't crown the Shah of Iran Greek colonels or a butcher in Zaire Didn't bank on Franco or apartheid Or any who ruled by fear And I don't like to kill Never have and never will But I will fight for freedom Though the battle be uphill And I don't fight for conquerors Even if they're presidents They try to buy me with dollars They must think I've got no sense And I don't keep my silence When my country bombs a town Cause I don't fight for conquerors I fight to bring them down I didn't overthrow Chile Slaughter peasants in El Salvador And when they went in with shock and awe I knew exactly what it was for I didn't send men to be tortured Leave their families living in dread I didn't build prisons all over the world And pretend it was freedom I spread Yes they say they're spreading democracy With their soldiers and CIA Is that why they propped up Mr. Marcos Suharto, Papa Doc Duvalier Vietnam and Iraq, I protested While all of my Presidents lied When Presidents stoop to conquer I'm on the other side