This must be one of the first rock anti-war Vietnam songs, and a classic piece of garage rock.
David Clayton Thomas and The Bossmen recorded "Brain Washed" in 1966 and was a No1 hit in Canada for 16 weeks. Although it's subject matter was less to the liking of the US and the radio stations there refused to play it.
Apart from the outstanding vocal delivery and controversial lyrics by Clayton Thomas the 45 is also remarkable for its use of a jazz piano insert into parts of the song. Unheard of for any rock let alone the raw grind of garage rock's heyday
Clayton Thomas 3 years later had a safer future and more successful one with Blood Sweat and Tears and today he's all but forgotten as part of rock and rolls angry past.
A lyric search on the track produced zero results so here for the first time are the words... except one that is. Because darn it we just can't make it out. The missing word/s are in asterisk.
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I've been brain washed
I've been brain washed
I woke up one morning
and took a look around
found myself sleeping in the city dog pound
told myself this just can't be
in the home of the brave and the land of the free
I found myself a voice and I began to shout
I gotta gotta gotta tell you what it's all about
Brainwashed ah yes I am
Brainwashed ah yes sir
Now it pours from our papers
from our radio
telling me what to do and which way to go
a white knight charging down at me with a lance
stabbed me in my belly don't stand me a chance
the whole o population take a walk in outer space
I gotta gotta tell you what we;ve all got to face
now I'm with the hangman
rather fight than switch
******** insulation
don't know which is which
we won ourselves a victory, the casualties were light
judging by the news machine
it ain't much of a fight
60 million people
know all about Vietnam
85% of them don't give a "bleep" (damn)
Brain washed
