SoNG: Down at Greenham

Down at Greenham

Written by Jill Booth,
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, 1982

PeHP Source: Peace Camps Sing produced by Sorrel Hays & Marilyn Ries, 1987; Peace Camp GatherSing, 2008.

"Greenham on a Spree was inspired by the tabloid papers of the day who wrote all sorts of overexcited articles about how the camp was funded by the Russians, and of course that we were all filthy lesbians, (some of which was of course true) but also by the wider peace movement who went on about how brave we were and how much we were suffering in the cause of peace when in fact the truth was that it was a wonderful adventure and a great way of life."

   ~ Becky Griffiths, PeHP Herstory 113

Down at Greenham on a spree, 
funded by the KGB,
Dirty women squatting in the mud. 

La, la, la, la, la, la
Mostly vegetarian when we're not devouring men,
foreigners and other forms of scum.

Mr. Gorbachov supplies us with our vodka,
Mr. Castro makes sure we're kept in dope (I wish he would), Most of us are outside agitators
who don't know that Ronald Reagan 
brings us hope (brings us hope).
 

What a bunch of layabouts, don't know what it's all about,
How we need deterrence for the best.

La, la, la, la, la, la

 Lighting fires and burning toast, bringing Communism close, threatening the security of the West.

In the bushes a cache of guns is waiting.
There are copies of Karl Marx in plastic bags.
All the children live in misery with rats and deprivation,
but then, what can you expect from 
queers and hags? (Queers and hags).
 

Down at Greenham on a spree, 
funded by the KGB,
Laughing, singing, dancing in the rain.

La, la, la, la, la, la

 Nowhere signs of sacrifice, making do or being nice,
but best of all we're not accepting pay.

We are trying to be done with pain and problems.
Of hypocrisy, dishonesty and fear.
So don't go getting shirty, 'cos it's us who's getting dirty,
and because of us we'll all be here next year.