The opening and closing words of this song are from a speech by US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, on February 19, 1998.

The second chorus is made up of words said to have been used by a young murderer to one of his victims, but they could well apply to the practice of holding young people on Death Row for 20 years or more, awaiting execution.

Article 6(5) of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights says “sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age”. The US has sent 50 young people to Death Row since ratifying this. It has signed, but not ratified, the Convention of the Rights of the Child, article 37a of which says “neither capital punishment nor life imprisonment without possibility of release shall be imposed for offences committed by persons under 18 years of age”.