Ordinary People
They sent you here to scare us, take our rights E/// A///
And oh, how eagerly you start a fight with E B
CHORUS
Ordinary people A
Neighbors and friends E
Regular Americans F# B7 E /// B7///
But folks in Minnesota, you should know E/// A///
Are still standing at ten below. E B7
Ordinary people… [CHORUS]
We don’t like being pushed around, A Am
Seeing our neighbors on the ground. E
Nobody has to pay us to be in the street F#
You can get in our way but we don’t retreat B7 A7 E/G B7/F# +4 B7sus
We’re just ordinary people…[CHORUS]
GUITAR E/// A/// E/// B7///
You say you’re chasing criminals, but all I see is A Am
You breaking and entering illegally. E
Calling us terrorists. It’s a disgrace, F#
And spraying good people in the face. B7 A7 E/G B7/F# +4 B7sus
Just ordinary people… [CHORUS]
And now murder and kidnap. It’s high time A Am
We all recognize capital crime E
Against ordinary people F# ////
Against ordinary people B7 ////
Yeah, ordinary people A
Neighbors and friends E
Regular Americans (3) F# B7 E
©Doug Hendren 2026
What’s it about?
The escalating violence of the Trump administration’s ICE / DHS assaults on American cities has dominated the news in recent months, in particular the January, 2026 killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in at the hands of ICE agents in Minneapolis. ICE assaults have continued in multiple cities, mainly targeting blue states with democratic governors. These two deaths of American citizens, widely perceived as outright murder, have focused public scrutiny on the excessive brutality and widespread illegality of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security’s methods.
One of the most disturbing aspects of this administration is the relentless, casual fabrication by ICE agents, DHS authorities, and people in the Trump administration – entire fictions often made up on the spot, to mislead the public about ordinary Americans exercising their rights to witness, photograph, and speak out about the abuses they see happening on their streets. For their efforts as good Americans, protesters have been reviled, abused, threatened, beaten and murdered. They have been insulted, labeled “terrorist” or “assassin,” in the administrations desperation to control every narrative.
What happened in Minneapolis is that the administration’s countless lies have come home to roost. Too many witnesses, too many cell phones recording events, for the “official” reports to be believed. Trump administration spokespeople have been exposed as utterly untruthful, and not worthy of credibility.
Perhaps attacking Minneapolis was a strategic error. Minnesota culture has long been recognized for being polite. “Minnesota nice” includes an element of taking care of neighbors and friends, and no doubt this is part of the solidarity seen in Minneapolis. Many observers believe the Trump administration has been looking for an excuse to bring federal troops into US cities under the Insurrection Act, and that the excessive brutality of ICE has been in part designed to provoke the kind of violent response that would give Trump such an opportunity. The firm but disciplined solidarity of Minnesota’s resistance has been a wise response to such a challenge. Their steadfast dignity despite the blizzard of lies from the administration about Renee Good, Alex Pretti and others has helped the American public to recognize Minnesota’s situation for what it is: good, honest, ordinary people under assaulted by a violent and deceitful administration.
Most of my music centers around climate disruption, but I have devoted a number of pieces to our present political situation, which is inextricably magnified by greed and power centered in the fossil fuel industry. My recent album, “Making the Angels Weep” is primarily focused on these subjects.
My deep thanks to the unflagging mentorship from so may dedicated and diligent experts in history, law and economics, including Heather Cox Richardson, Joyce Vance, Paul Krugman, and others, whose blogs daily inspire and inform my lyrics.
