I’m hearing so much acrimony lately – on Facebook and elsewhere. It depresses me. I was just listening to the latest effort by Greg Brown – always one of my favorite lyricists – and thought I’d share the lyrics to the title track, Freak Flag. Obviously, I’m a child of the 60’s.

I grew up in the shadow of The Bomb

Come of age during Viet Nam

Many thousand gone – I never did know why

Well look around – it’s so hard to see

What’s happening to our big family

I’m an American – I’m gonna let my freak flag fly – fly

Well my dad preached a message of love

I heard him say on the day he passed on above

He said “Use what you got, son, to raise a hopeful cry”

Dad, I heard what you had to say

I try to hold to it every day

I’m your boy – I’m gonna let my freak flag fly – fly – fly

Flag of green, flag of brown

Leaves in the sky, roots in the ground

I’m singing and stomping by the dawns early light

For every soul being beat down

For every child who sees the light and turns around

Come on now – let’s let that freak flag fly – fly – fly