PWoF 2016 - Topic 05 - Sept. 26

[dukealien]

#5
minstrel boy

He traded his gun for an old guitar
(he knew he couldn’t kill)
they forced him to march in the one by one
to submit to the officers' will
and he swallowed his protest and stayed in line
answered the call, did the drill
but on the red day when the blood ran down
when the bullets flew fast and shrill
he stood his ground and played a tune
defiantly peacefully still
so he died in the fray with his old guitar
a song for his girl in his will

Catchy beat - reminiscent of Kipling or Robert Service who wrote of such matters, likewise in the way of the time

"He traded his gun for an old guitar!"
said Files-on-Parade...

...and don't you strum at a Afghan
when none of your friends is near.

also Billy Bob Thornton's Davy Crockett fiddling a descant to El Deguello.

In all honesty, I think #5 was Photoshopped (or, in the earlier optical mode, Photoplayed).  The eightball black helmet with no cover and rolled-down sleeves don't fit with the rest of the picture; hands and head are a bit out of scale.  Also, Eightball has an M-79 slung on his back... but the guitar strap ends short of his shoulder.  Very fine paste-up work, though, and perfect image as a seed for inspiration.