Malvina Reynolds: Song Lyrics and Poems  

Instant Sentence, or, Talking Law and Order Blues

Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1967 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1995. Apparently written in response to a particularly violent confrontation between police and anti-war protesters outside an induction center in Oakland in October 1967.

[spoken] Well the boy won't move,
And the girl won't move,
And they holler and they shout,
And they push and they shove,
And they cry Hell No
We ain't gonna go.
[sung] Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
[spoken] Bust their heads open.

The cops in a line,
And they look so fine,
With helmets on top
Of every cop,
And a kid throws a can
At a policeman.
Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
Bust their head open.

They sit in a door
To protest the war,
They get in a crowd
And they say it out loud,
Don't want to be drafted,
Don't want to be shafted--
Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
Bust their head open.

Don't matter who,
Any head will do
We try to be kind
But you just won't mind,
We tell you to disperse
And you shout and curse,
Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
Bust their head open.

Well somebody threw,
It could have been you,
You had the nearest head
So you'll do instead,
Anyway you're here,
And what you doin here?
Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
Bust their head open.

Have your day in court,
But your shrift is short,
You got hit
So you're guilty, kid,
The policeman
Does the best he can--
Instant sentence, instant sentence, instant sentence
Bust their head open.

Malvina Reynolds songbook(s) in which the music to this song appears:
---- [none]

Other place(s) where the music to this song appears:
---- Broadside No. 86 (November 1967)

Malvina Reynolds recording(s) on which this song is performed:
---- [none]