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McKinley Praying Lyrics by Chris Santiago

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“Kill every one over ten.”
Gen. Jacob H. Smith, U.S. Sixth Separate Brigade, 1902
Sometimes like a sultan
I put on a disguise & walk among the people.
The women have Modigliani faces.
The men wear nooses of fire.
I try to tell the soldiers
that every insurrecto they grease is Walt Whitman
but they’re getting angry & righteous
since he won’t lie down or be licked.
I cover him with a blanket
I’ve just bought from a chuckling Eskimo.
It is many-colored
& uninfected by smallpox.
A murderer lurks among the stalls
but I do nothing to stop him—he’s the President
disguised as an actor;
you can tell by his yellow teeth.
One by one he kills my incarnations
while they browse for souvenirs
for my six thousand siblings who’ve gone
overseas for work.
From his hand he unfurls a bandage
long enough to blindfold
every bronze-skinned boy over the age of ten.
They cock their heads, as if listening.
I hear footsteps behind me.
This is my last life
a vintage courtesy of a foreign power
ready to drink and black.
From the window of a nipa hut
Some kind of Indian offers me a wreath—
Credits
Chris Santiago

Chris Santiago

About “McKinley Praying” by Chris Santiago

Read the complete lyrics to "McKinley Praying" by Chris Santiago. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"McKinley Praying" is performed by Chris Santiago. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "McKinley Praying", explore more songs by Chris Santiago using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"McKinley Praying" is credited to Chris Santiago. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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