My Bluebird Cafe performance of a song I wrote about the dark history and uncertain future of our national cemetery. The version from my album, featuring the great Dar Williams, is here:    • "Arlington" (Andy Revkin with Dar Wil...  

Bandcamp download:
https://revkin.bandcamp.com/track/arl...

Lyrics:
© Andrew Revkin

In Eighteen Hundred Sixty Four, the burying began.
To spite that rebel Robert Lee, we took away his land.
Just outside of Washington, his hills spread far and wide.
Soon corn gave way to crosses, as young soldiers died.

But where will they go when there’s no more room in Arlington?
Arlington, the hills go on and on -- gray veterans and fresh fallen side by side.
Bugles blow and caissons roll two dozen times each day. At that rate in 15 years, there’ll be no room to lay… in Arlington, in Arlington.

Private William Christman was the first one we laid down.
Now there are a quarter million in that hallowed ground.
In Mrs. Lee’s rose garden, we buried near 2,000 –
those just the boys who fell down at Bull Run.

But where will they go when there’s no more room in Arlington?
Arlington, the hills go on and on -- gray veterans and fresh fallen side by side.
Bugles blow and caissons roll two dozen times each day. At that rate in 15 years, there’ll be no room to lay… in Arlington, in Arlington.

From the War to Save the Union to the War to End all Wars,
And all the battles ever since, all fought on distant shores.
But where will they go when there’s no more room in Arlington?

Arlington, the hills go on and on -- gray veterans and fresh fallen side by side.
Bugles blow and caissons roll two dozen times each day. At that rate in 15 years, there’ll be no room to lay… in Arlington, in Arlington.
credits