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Iron Lady

from Balance by Tempest

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about

IRON LADY
(Ochs)
The late folksinger and political activist, Phil Ochs,
wrote this song in the early sixties; unfortunately
the song is still relevant today. The idea for the
song was given to him by a social worker in Ohio
who had taken the phrase "Iron Lady" from a poem
written by a man on death row. The song, was written
to protest the execution of murderer Caryl Chessman.

lyrics

Have you seen the Iron Lady's charm?
Legs of steel and leather on her arm?
Taking on a man to die, a life for a life
An eye for an eye
And death's the Iron Lady in the chair

Stop the murders deter the crimes away
Only killing shows killing doesn't pay
Oh that's the kind of law it takes
Even though we make mistakes
And sometimes send the wrong man to the chair

In the Death-Row waiting for their turn
No time to change, not a chance to learn
Waiting for someone to call
Say, "It's over after all"
They won't have to face the justice of the chair

Just before they serve him one last meal
Shave his head, they ask him how he feels
Then the warden comes to say goodbye
Reporters come to watch him die
Watch him as he's strapped into the chair

And the chaplain, he reads the final prayer
"Be brave, my son, the Lord is waiting there"
Oh, murder is so wrong, you see
Both the Bible, and the courts agree
That the state's allowed to murder in the chair

In the courtroom, watch the balance of the scales
If the price is right, there's time for more appeals
The strings are pulled, the switch is stayed
The finest lawyers fees are paid
And a rich man's never died upon the chair

credits

from Balance, released April 24, 2001

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Tempest Oakland, California

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