It was a burial ground on the shores of Lake Huron
The government borrowed from the Natives during World War Two
Sayin’ “We need this land to train our forces on
When the war is over we’ll give it back to you”
Fifty years after the war had ended
The Natives wondered when the government would honour its vow
When they realized the answer was never
They decided that the time was now
Dudley George lived with his cousin in a trailer
In the park they’d made the burial ground into
They occupied the land in peaceful protest
In hopes the government would do what it said it was gonna do
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down
Everywhere Dudley George walked there was laughter
He was a man who loved his freedom and his fun
Even took his name from the cartoon Dudley Do-Right
They Canadian Mountie character he loved when he was young
His cousin Clifford George lived in that trailer
He was a veteran of the Korean War
He came back expecting the fulfillment
Of the promise made by the country he’d fought for
As the summer ended and the cool breezes blew
Thirty unarmed men, women and children joined them on the land
Comin’ in the fall so as not to disturb vacationers
They made their peaceful stand
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down
All the children of the area loved Dudley George
Every day he could be seen with quite a few
They’d fight among themselves to go on runs to the variety store
To get him the Bazooka bubble gum he loved to chew
But in the Premier’s office they did exclaim
“We’ve been pandering to these Indians for too long
We gotta make an example of them, by any means necessary –
I don’t care how you do it, I want’em gone”
The Deputy Commissioner said “We got a redneck government here –
About the Indians they could not care less
These guys are barrel suckers, man, they’re in love with guns
They just want us to go in and kick some ass.”
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down
So it was that thirty unarmed men, women and children
Were greeted by the sight
Of a riot squad and a sniper unit armed with submachine guns
Comin’ to them through the night
There were shots, there was shouting in the chaos
People running and getting beaten all around
As the bullets tore through the darkness
And the body of Dudley George fell to the ground
His sister, Cully George, drove him past the cops to the hospital
In a beaten-up car that kept on breakin’ down
They never told her that he died till after they arrested her
They thought she was the one who shot him down
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down
The man who pulled the trigger got a wrist slap
The man who gave the command, he still walks free
And don’t it make any decent person want to hang their head in shame
To know he acted in the pay of you and me?
Dudley George was lowered into his grave
With his peace pipe and a pack of Bazooka bubble gum
He left a memory of laughter in the heart of everyone who knew him
And a question beating louder like a drum
Sometimes you fool yourself the war is over
Sometimes war is all you see
Sometimes you gotta turn around and wonder
If your county’s anything it ever claimed to be
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they kill who they cannot push around
Ipperwash, forever your name tells the tale
Of how they shot Dudley George down
credits
from Greatest Sensations,
released October 21, 2014
Produced by Dale Morningstar
Guitar: Dale Morningstar
Bass: Dr. Pee
Drums: Dave Clark
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