Victor Jara

A song on the singer! A radical lyric about the radical poet. Adrian Mitchell has written to the tune of Arlo Guthrie! Revolutionary songs were always meant to be simple. Straight. Honest. About unsung peoples. And heroic Fights. Jara led the exemplary life. Guthrie, son of the legendary Woody, pays tribute…

Victor JaraVictor Jara of ChileLived like a shooting starHe fought for the people of ChileWith his songs and his guitarHis hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Victor Jara was a peasantHe worked from a few years oldHe sat upon his father's plowAnd watched the earth unfoldHis hands were gentle, his hands were strong
Now when the neighbors had a weddingOr one of their children diedHis mother sang all night for themWith Victor by her sideHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongHe grew up to be a fighterAgainst the people's wrongsHe listened to their grief and joyAnd turned them into songsHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongHe sang about the copper minersAnd those who worked the landHe sang about the factory workersAnd they knew he was their manHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongHe campaigned for AllendeWorking night and dayHe sang "Take hold of your brothers handYou know the future begins today"His hands were gentle, his hands were strongThen the generals seized ChileThey arrested Victor thenThey caged him in a stadiumWith five-thousand frightened menHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongVictor stood in the stadiumHis voice was brave and strongAnd he sang for his fellow prisonersTill the guards cut short his songHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongThey broke the bones in both his handsThey beat him on the headThey tore him with electric shocksAnd then they shot him deadHis hands were gentle, his hands were strongRepeat first verse©1977, 1990 by by Adrian Mitchell & Arlo GuthrieAll Rights Reserved.