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I'm Alive Because Of Nuclear Bombs

from The Buddhist by Kye Alfred Hillig

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lyrics

If the U.S. had not nuked Japan, I wouldn’t be alive today
My grandfather would have been the first to hit the shore
And he would have been the first one to get blown away,
But he impregnated my grandma instead
Got up early to bake Sunbeam Bread
Called all Asian people ‘Japs’
Watched Married With Children and laughed

And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But I can’t help but think of the families that did not carry on
And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But it’s hard to forget that I’m here because of something so wrong

He’d work on his Model A
Call me each year on my birthday,
But he had a heart impossible to touch
He didn’t seem interested in my life all that much
And after my Grandmother’s stroke
Alligators brought flowers each day to her window
He remarried before her body was cold
I think my family had a hard time letting that go

And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But I can’t help but think of the families that did not carry on
And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But it’s hard to forget that I’m here because of something so wrong

My mom called to tell me he’d passed
And when his service in Salem would be,
But I already had a life of my own
Grown far away from the things that he chose not to know
And years later my Mom gave me a letter
About my Grandfather not killing a Japanese soldier on a smoke break
When he easily could
I guess inside of his chest hid a heart that was good

And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But I can’t help but think of the families that did not carry on
And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But millions of people had to die so that I could be born
And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But I can’t help but think of the families that did not carry on
And I’m alive because of nuclear bombs,
But it’s hard to forget that I’m here because of something so wrong

credits

from The Buddhist, released August 14, 2014

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Kye Alfred Hillig Tacoma, Washington

Lost his family in a house fire, but saved his guitar. Plays songs his family’s never heard. (Tacoma, WA Singer-Songwriter)

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