Peppers and Tomatoes

This year in my garden I grow peppers and tomatoes
 Peppers and tomatoes, they grow together well
 And my neighbors all around me they grow beans and potatoes
 Cabbages and onions in this village where we dwell
 And later in the year we will bring wine to the table
 Bring wine to the table and reap what we have sown
 Like my father did before and his father did before him
 And his father did before him, we will share what we have grown
 This little patch of dirt, this little pile of stones
 I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
 But this earth is in my bones
 Military vehicles are passing through our village
 Passing through our village with young soldiers ill at ease
 Unsmiling and unshaven, distrustful and uncertain
 Distrustful and uncertain and all smoking constantly
 And my neighbors say, "Don't worry for you are one of us
 You are one of us and it will not happen here"
 But the next night at the cafe when I bring wine to the table
 When I bring wine to the table but they are sitting drinking beer
 Last night the hand of friendship fell heavy on my shoulders
 Heavy on my shoulders as I turned away to go
 As I said goodnight some old men, some old men and young soldiers
 Were humming tunes and singing words to songs that I did not know
 Oh, this little patch of dirt and this little pile of stones
 I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
 But this earth is in my bones
 This morning my wife told me that she'd been to church on Sunday
 Been to church on Sunday, she had felt the need to pray
 Our children were baptized there
 but it was just to please the old ones
 Just to please the old ones and I don't know what to say
 Tonight as dark is falling, I am tending to my garden
 Tending to my garden and the crop that I have grown
 And my car is heavy laden and soon I'll start the engine
 Soon I'll start the engine, wake the children and be gone
 Oh, this little patch of dirt and this little pile of stones
 I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
 But this earth is in my bones
 My shotgun it is loaded and it's hidden in the cabin
 It's hidden in the cabin and the evening's growing chilled
 My mouth is dry, my hands are moist and if someone tries to stop me
 Someone tries to stop me, I am ready now to kill
 Oh, this little patch of dirt and this little pile of stones
 I can wash the dust from off my face and skin
 But this earth is in my bones
 I am watering my garden when I smell the cigarette smoke
 Smell the cigarette smoke and I turn round in the dust
 And I see the glint of rifles but I cannot see the faces
 But I recognize the voices that say, "You must come with us"