[Lyrics]

Leaving for home
I'm leaving for home
leaving this country
I'm leaving this country
on the long ride home

I came as a passenger
came as a warrior
came as a passenger
I am the messenger
on the long ride home

looking up I see
through my gauzy view
I see
Red, White and Blue
I see
Red, White and Blue
over my eyes

looking up I see
my mother over me
the man in the suit
talks about bravery
talks about honor
and glory
she doesn't see
glory
honor
duty
or country

she just sees me
she sees me
under Red, White and Blue
under Red, White and Blue
with tears
in her eyes

I came as a passenger
came as a warrior
came as a passenger
I'm going home as cargo
I'm going home as cargo
on the long ride home

salute me
carry me
salute me
pray for me
on the long ride home
on the long ride home

Sources:
    www.theMemoryHole.org
    amleft.blogspot.com
    First photo inside the cargo plane: Tami Silicio

Musicians on the song -- see the album credits here:
    http://ProvisionalAuthority.us/cd.html

Check out these amazingly beautiful photos by photojournalist Lorna Tychostup of
the people of Iraq.  I put Cargo together to see the frail humanity of our soldiers.  Lorna's photos
build connections by showing the humanity of the Iraqi people.



Artist's Statement
  George W. Bush doesn't want Americans to see or feel how many of our
  soldiers have died in Iraq.  He even went as far as forbidding the
  armed services from allowing photographs of returning coffins.

  But a brave woman in the service, Tami Silicio, distributed one of her photos
  to a newspaper, and the result was that she was fired.
  Then Russ Kick at TheMemoryHole.org was able to get a whole CD of images
  via a Freedom Of Information Act (FIOA) request.

  When I saw these images, I cried.
  Then I got angry.
  Then I wrote the song "Cargo".

  I've just finished turning the song into a Flash Movie that anyone with a
  soundcard in their computer can watch. It includes images from the Veterans
  for Peace "Vigil for the Fallen", which I played in New York.  I also included
  images from "War President" from amleft.blogspot.com.

    http://LaramieCrocker.com/cargo.html

  I wish everyone in the country could watch it to see the moving images
  and hear the song.  People tell me the song is moving and beautiful.
  People tell me the song is powerful, and they wish everyone could hear it.

  Please watch the movie and hear the song.  If you agree that it is a
  powerful message for people to hear, please send
  the following link out to everyone you can.

    http://LaramieCrocker.com/cargo.html

  Please be patient.  The web page will load, then the Flash movie will
  load in a minute or so on cable or DSL, or in about 5 minutes on dial-up.
  I think you'll find that it is worth it.

  I've put everything I can into this movie -- my years of singing and
  songwriting, my cash and time in the recording studio, what I learned
  from Dr. George Lakoff about framing messages, my heart and soul.
  The musicians who joined me in the studio were amazing.  But it is still
  not enough if George W. Bush gets to pursue his stated goal of total domination
  in the Middle East, including new wars with Iran and Syria, never mind how many
  more young men and women must die.

  The Vietnam War was stopped by tireless activism, by Americans coming
  together.  In part, this was aided by the powerful music and poetry
  of the time.  In this era of skillfully crafted pro-war messages, of
  war marketing, of corporate media control, today you won't hear the
  artists on the radio who are working on the songs that would inspire us to
  fight to bring our troops home.  By spreading this movie and song far and
  wide using the Internet, you can help to bring a message of peace and sanity,
  a message that can bring us together.

  We need to tell the President to support our troops by bringing them home.
  A common resolve to end this war and bring our troops home is
  needed.  I hope this movie and song can help build that resolve, that
  sense of community.

  Peace,
  Laramie Crocker

  First posted: October 28, 2004
  Updated:      November 14, 2004