This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
This is how you hold your American flag.
This is how you hold your American flag.
So this is how you hold your patri-fucking-otic flag.
We’re all a bunch of fucking disgraces!
There sits and old man he’s writing and typing and paying his tax to the law.
I see him through the window sill.
There you are laughing and joking and waiting and praying for life to be free.
And I know that you mean him well.
Stands up anger and walks to the doorway where he can yell clearly at me.
And I’m not sure I know what he means.
Losing track of days.
Staring to sky.
As the old man yells.
So this is how you hold your American fucking, fucking flag!
So this is how you hold your funny little flag?
Losing track of days.
Staring to the sky.
As the old man dies.
As the old man dies. [x2]
This is how you hold your American flag.
So this is how you hold your patri-fucking-otic flag.
We’re all a bunch of fucking disgraces!
There sits and old man he’s writing and typing and paying his tax to the law.
I see him through the window sill.
There you are laughing and joking and waiting and praying for life to be free.
And I know that you mean him well.
Stands up anger and walks to the doorway where he can yell clearly at me.
And I’m not sure I know what he means.
Losing track of days.
Staring to sky.
As the old man yells.
So this is how you hold your American fucking, fucking flag!
So this is how you hold your funny little flag?
Losing track of days.
Staring to the sky.
As the old man dies.
As the old man dies. [x2]
Lyrics submitted by football54
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Clearly a political song, but for those left wondering about the name...here is some food for thought!
Agent Orange was the code name for a herbicide developed for the military. The purpose of the product was to deny an enemy cover and concealment in dense terrain by defoliating trees and shrubbery where the enmy could hide. The product "Agent Orange" (a code name for the orange band that was used to mark the drums it was stored in, was principally effective against broad-leaf foliage, such as the dense jungle-like terrain found in Southeast Asia. Agent Orange was used extensively during the Vietnam war, with roughly 20 millions gallons dispersed throughout the conflict. The TCDD found in Agent Orange is thought to be harmful to man. In laboratory tests on animals, TCDD has caused a wide variety of diseases, many of them fatal. TCDD is not found in nature, but rather is a man-made and always unwanted byproduct of the chemical manufacturing process. Agent Orange was later found to be extremely contaminated with TCDD. Many believe that the goverment and chemical companies knew of the harmful side effects during the war, but kept the information quiet. Love how they placed Agent Orange right before Time for People. While it's unclear who Time for People is about, i always like to believe it is about Bush...and Agent Orange seems to give provide some basis for that.