When I was a kid, I would always look forward to seeing the comic strip POGO on November 11th. I didn't understand what the day meant, but I knew what the words were going to be; some variation on "You'd think we could find something important to say on the Eleventh day of November." Walt Kelly ran many versions of that strip, and it stuck in my mind.
Well, I'm an adult now (though I still read the comics) and a working musician/songwriter. I understand the day now, and the importance of it, but I miss what the day used to mean. Nothing to belittle the men and women who have served our country in a way I haven't, but it always seemed to be that celebrating the result of their labors shouldn't be belittled either.
When my most recent album came out earlier this year I wanted to have a collection of songs about something we've forgotten - peace. I closed it with a short song with all of 5 lines of music:
You'd think that someone would have something poignant to say
About the way we honor our veterans
Yes, they deserve a whole week of their own but tell me
Why did we cancel Armistice Day?
Why did we cancel Armistice Day?
To our Veterans, from the highest to the lowest, thanks.
I am withholding the name of the band I record with intentionally, because turning this into a commercial is just crass. I'm not that hard to find if you're that interested.