I Wonder Who’s Kissinger Now


From the July ’23 concert at Café Paloma, Seattle—this one a revival of an old tune dedicated to eventual reckoning for the arch-criminal of my youth.

You encouraged those massacres in East Timor,
Not as famous as Vietnam, true
You have wreaked your affliction on each one in turn,
and have sworn each one you didn’t do;
You were our Svengali, a master by golly
The extent of your crimes no one knew.
does it ever occur to you later my boy,
that you could be tried, even you?

Chorus:
I wonder who’s Kissinger now
How’s the old coup-binger now
wonder who’s looking out from his eyes,
breathing sighs, telling lies.
I won-der who’s home in his head
Is there remorse for the dead
wonder if he still thinks he’ll go free
I wonder who’s Kissinger now

If you want to feel justice, be given your due,
just imagine yourself sharply dressed
In the docket of some War Crimes Tribunal hearing
from the people you cruelly suppressed;
Oh the time slips away and your crimes in Chile
flit away with a sword and a tear.
So though you can tell where is Kissinger now,
You might be in jail this time next year.