[WASHINGTON]
I was younger than you are now
When I was given my first command
I led my men straight into a massacre
I witnessed their deaths firsthand
I made every mistake
And felt the shame rise in me
And even now I lie awake
These are the first lyrics sang in the song History Has it's eyes on you however the lyrics are a bit misleading. Most people think that when he says "I led my men straight into a massacre, I witnessed their deaths firsthand" he is referring to how his men where massacred and that he witnessed their deaths. I however feel that after researching into this he is referring to the massacre his men committed and that he witnessed his men kill those people. The lyrics refer to a skirmish in 1754 between Washington's men who included around a dozen Iroquois men, the skirmish started with an ambush where 12 French men and 1 colonial. They also took 20 French prisoners who were later massacred by the Iroquois, this is what I believe the line  "I led my men straight into a massacre
I witnessed their deaths firsthand"  refers to. The next line refers to how he made the mistake of allowing this to happen. The word shame in the next line is referring to how this started the 7 years war causing the British to come save the colonists. Finally when he sings "You have no control: Who lives ,who dies ,who tells your story" this refers to how he is painted as a great American hero which he is, but he also is one of the primary reasons for a war that is technically listed as a form of a world war and not many know this. What do you think though? Why do you think the lyrics are structured this way? I feel that it is so that people can see that Washington is more Human than we give him credit for whether or not you look in between the lines.

http://www.shmoop.com/george-washington/french-indian-war.html