Where Were You

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Jesse Lee:
1879,
January 13th
General, honored guests
Let this court convene.
In regards to Major Reno
And the events of Little Bighorn
We shall hear from both sides
And decide between.

Frederick Whittaker:
We need to know just what occurred,
Why Custer's men were massacred like cattle.
Is it true you lost control,
Panicked, fled, and cost the whole damn battle

Marcus Reno:
Custer's column was unreachable!

Whittaker:
Was that your plan

Reno:
Our position was unfavorable!

Whittaker:
So you ran
Your men were well-prepared
With their incursion we'd have triumphed!
But back on judgment day,
Where were you then
Where were you

Reno:
Pass the buck and roll the ball,
Someone's got to take the fall for Custer.
Was it Benteen Was it me
It's anybody else's fault, you see, but Custer.
Was I well-composed or scared, you ask
There's no 'or.'

Whittaker:
So you admit that you were terrified

Reno:
Of course I was... it was war!
How dare you question me,
All of you... safe behind your gavels!
But back on judgment day
Where were you then
Where were
Where were

Where were you when the Furies flew
And blood was in the air
Too late to fight, too weak to shout
The things I scream when lights go out
And Hell itself would shrink from all the demons that I bear
But our retreat was justified
You can't deny it 'cause you weren't there!
You weren't there

Libbie Custer:
Major Reno, did you like my husband
Did you think he was a good soldier,
Did you think he was a good man

Reno:
We were on... friendly terms,
I guess you could say, friendly terms
I guess you could say, he was my friend.

But as an officer I just
Never put much stock in Custer's talents
On the front he'd get quite tense,
Act in haste and lose his sense of balance

Libbie:
My husband's victories were uncountable!

Reno:
There's no doubt...
The other officers called it "Custer's Luck".
It was bound to run out
Bound to run out

Libbie:
You thankless little grub,
Spitting on the gravestone of a martyr!
But back on judgment day,
Where were you then
Where were, where where...

Whittaker:
Pulling punches,
Rolling out the carpet for the Souix.

Reno:
As if I had a punch to pull...

Libbie:
They were sitting ducks for Sitting Bull!
Our country's bravest hero lost

Whittaker:
The army's honor, too

Libbie and Whittaker:
All stranded inn the boiling dust
Marcus Reno where were you
Where were you
Where were you

Jon Greenelee - drums, bass, additional guitars
Russell Schwartz - voice of Jesse Lee
Geoffroy Sisk - voice of Frederick Whittaker
Thellea Leveque - voice of Elizabeth "Libbie" Custer

Copyright 1997, 2013 Zach London