For My Sunday Song #265, we are going to go back to the controversy with the song “Thoughts & Prayers” by Will Hoge. The song is off his protest E.P. called ‘My American Dream’ from 2018. When Will does the E.P.’s, he has a lot to say and he will not hold back and I think that is the magic of his protest music. It is honest, truthful and he rips the band-aid right off and exposes things for what they are.

This song was inspired by yet another mass shooting and this time it was one on November 5, 2017 in Southerland Springs, Texas at a church where 26 people were murdered when someone walked in to their church and opened fire. Will heard the news while he was on tour in Denver and before his show that night, he sat down and started writing a song based around three words he found useless and pointless that was coming from the mouths of politicians. Those words were “Thoughts & Prayers”. He felt those words held no wait. We need action and not words. He rips the politicians and tears a new whole to the NRA as he speaks to fact we need better gun control in this country. He isn’t saying we don’t need guns, but more that it should be harder to get and more scrutiny who can get them.

Musically, the song is very simple. It is an acoustic guitar and Will truthfully speaking out his lyrics and you can feel the truth oozing from his mouth. You can feel the anger, feel the sadness and the hurt and you can feel the exhaustion from all the non-sense that comes from Washington D.C. Politicians that are snuggled in the warm blankets of the NRA afraid to do something and lose that NRA money for their elections. 3 years later, still zero action and it feels like we have a mass shooting almost every single day. It is really crazy. I know it isn’t guns that kill people, but something needs to be done to make it harder for those people that kill people to get them. Whatever we have right now, isn’t working.

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Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. Can you feel the disgust and the heartache? I think it is a powerful song and one of my favorite protest songs. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a Happy Sunday even after hearing a song that can make you think and shake your head in disgust at Washington.

“Thoughts & Prayers”

Another politician sitting far away
Doesn’t matter how many got gunned down today
As long as you can keep your reelection bills paid
You’re just a whore to the guild that’s called the NRA
They tell you how to vote and they sell you all their lies
And we watch as common sense just slowly dies
And now you got blood on your hands, oh but you don’t care
You just sit back and send out your thoughts and prayers

Thoughts and prayers
Thoughts and prayers
Don’t give a damn about your thoughts and prayers
It’s just spit and wind flying around in the air
Why don’t you do your job up there
And keep your thoughts and prayers

Momma crying because the baby won’t come home
You tell the father that you’re sorry that his son is gone
While you sit and do nothing in that big white dome
And just hope we all forget to care
But you could have done something and we all wish that you would
To prove to the world you had one tiny ounce of good
But you’ll blame somebody else for all this despair
And not do a thing but offer up your thoughts and prayers

Thoughts and prayers
Thoughts and prayers
Don’t give a damn about your thoughts and prayers
It’s just spit and wind flying around in the air
Why don’t you do your job up there
And keep your thoughts and prayers

Someday when time finally takes its toll
And your maker comes to call his final row
I hope he’ll close up the gates and send you straight to hell
For the truth that you knew but got paid not to tell
And you’ll, beg and you’ll cry “Lord don’t send me down there!”
“The devil made me do it,” you’ll say “I’m sorry I swear!”
And God will just laugh and tell you “I don’t care.”
Send you to the fire with just his thoughts and prayers

Thoughts and prayers
Thoughts and prayers
Don’t give a damn about your thoughts and prayers
It’s just spit and wind flying around in the air
Why don’t you do your job up there
And keep your thoughts and prayers