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 Home > The Decemberists > Discography > Picaresque > 07. Sixteen Military Wives
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8.3
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Song ID: 202620
Sixteen military wives
Thirty-two softly focused brightly colored eyes
Staring at the natural tan
Of thirty-two gently clenching wrinkled little hands
Seventeen company men
Out of which only twelve will make it back again
Seargeant sent a letter to five
Military wives, his tears drip down to ten little eye

Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can, and America can't say no
And America does, if America says it's so
It's so

And the anchorperson on TV goes...
La de da de da

Fifteen celebrity mimes
Leaving their fifteen sorted wretched checkered lives
Will they find the solution in time
Using their fifteen pristine moderate liberal minds?

Eighteen academy chairs
Out of which only seven really even care
Doling out a garment to five
Celebrity mimes, they're humbly taken by surprise

Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can, and America can't say no
And America does, if America says it's so
It's so

And the anchorperson on TV goes...
La de da de da de-dadedade-da
La de da de da de-dadedade-da

Fourteen cannibal kings
Wondering blindly what the dinner bell will bring
Fifteen celebrity mimes
Served on a leafy bed th sixteen military wives

Cheer them on to their rivals
Cause America can, and America can't say no
And America does, if America says it's so
It's so

And the anchorperson on TV goes...
La de da de da de-dadedade-da
La de da de da de-dadedade-da
Picaresque
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06. From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)
07. Sixteen Military Wives
08. The Engine Driver
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Song Facts - Show All?
Songwriter Colin Meloy has characterized the song as a "protest song" inspired by the Iraq War. However, though it does attack elements of the American foreign policy under George W. Bush (the lines "Because America can/And America can't say no/And America does/If America says it's so/It's so" in the chorus), "16 Military Wives" focuses primarily on the news media and popular response to the war, particularly levying criticism at infotainment and the surface-level involvement of celebrities in public affairs.
submitted by Big D
4 comments on this song.
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millencolin09
i love this song. it rocks
added: 05/24/2005, 01:54 AM
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Big D
First song I've heard from them. This new band would be kicking in soon; this song is marvelous.
added: 11/18/2005, 08:03 PM
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Cratic
Very bouncy and fun song. It's a nice change of style from the previous couple tracks.
added: 12/19/2005, 02:57 PM
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Sierra
This song aggravates me. It's just so.. agh, I can't think of a word. It just gets to me.
added: 07/09/2006, 01:44 PM
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