social commentary, environmental
Workers at the nuclear weapons facility in Paducah, KY have been dying of cancer for many years. Joe Harding was exhumed by his wife and his body was discovered to be laced with uranium. Bill Clinton sent Bill Richardson to Paducah to give the dead and the dying an award. They were called "Heroes Of the Cold War." I am told that Richardson gave Mrs. Harding a plaque and that she gave it back to him.
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground.
Exhumed his bones and uranium found.
Paducah, KY’s nuke factory
Radioactive in the cemetery.
18 years of uranium dust caked on his skin
On his teeth formed a crust.
Cancer in his stomach, perforated his lungs
All of the workers are dying too young.
He spoke to the bosses of uranium air
The Feds denied any poisons were there
Union Carbide, Lockheed-Martin agree
That it’s safe to make nuclear WMDs.
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground.
Exhumed his bones and uranium found.
Paducah, KY’s nuke factory
Radioactive in the cemetery.
Their bodies were sick with plutonium grams
The Feds said was from eating that Kentucky ham.
Fernald, Ohio, Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
All getting sick on ham from Kentucky.
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground.
Exhumed his bones and uranium found.
Paducah, KY’s nuke factory
Radioactive in the cemetery.
Bill Richardson came to honor the dead.
To Paducah, KY, Mr. Energy said
To the dead and the dying he gave an award.
Called ‘em Heroes Of The Cold War.
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground
Exhumed his bones and uranium found
Not Kentucky ham that was deep in his core.
He’s a hero of the cold war.
They dug Joe Harding out of the ground.
Exhumed his bones and uranium found.
Paducah, KY’s nuke factory
Radioactive in the cemetery.