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The clearing of the land Lyrics by Ted Leo

Band Together: A benefit for Ukraine

2022

Though they didn't come at once, well they all brought sporting guns
And their own police and army came in with them
On our roads, their horses trod, but still, they needed to be shod
So they hired us to feed and breed and smith them
And some of us, on seeing our cousins stung
Were all too quick to scrabble up that bottom ladder rung
And we learned our lessons wrong behind their hedge
And the first mistake was giving them a place to drive the wedge
Then they turned their language loose to ennoble the abuse
And their papers called a people, now, a "problem"
Just the word would give them cause to enforce their penal laws
So they could start accusing us of trying to rob them
And some of us refused to see they'd planned
To kill us all or drive us, year by year, off of the land
And in exile, we would wallow in our shame
While in all their halls, they sing our songs and steal our heroes' claims and loved ones' names
Satellites and TV towers program fealty to the powers
They get paid for the charade that they're projecting
And when our patience starts to sour; years to months, days to hours
In the end, friend, really what were you expecting?
And who is it you want to be protecting?
Credits
Ted Leo

Ted Leo

About “The clearing of the land” by Ted Leo

Read the complete lyrics to "The clearing of the land" by Ted Leo from the album "Band Together: A benefit for Ukraine" in 2022. 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 Rock.

"The clearing of the land" is performed by Ted Leo. from the album "Band Together: A benefit for Ukraine" in 2022 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 "The clearing of the land", explore more songs by Ted Leo 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

"The clearing of the land" is credited to Ted Leo. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The clearing of the land" appears on "Band Together: A benefit for Ukraine" in 2022.

Visit the Ted Leo artist page at /artist/ted-leo for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.