Of course, "guys" is totally informal and familiar. I would not use it if I was waiting tables in a restaurant and serving a group of older people--no "Hi, guys! My name is Judy and I'm your server today."

judy, as a fellow northeasterner, i understand how these expressions are used in proper context and expression:

"you guys..." >> clearly an expression of inclusion of all who are currently present when this is spoken. It is gender neutral, although contains the male-centric plural noun "guys".
"y'all..." >> also a gender neutral inclusive effort, again referring to those who are present at the time of slurring.
"y'awn..." >> what the guys who are being referred to do when being referred to over and over in a gender neutral way.
"youse guys..." >> usually spoken by someone with a broken nose, and clearly is not gender neutral, as the audience is laden with testosterone filled bodies that may or may not have fresh dirt under their fingernails.
"yo-yo ma..." >> a great cellist, not gender neutral, and always makes me wonder what drugs his parents were on when they named this poor kid... what were those guys thinkin'????

Until the English langauge has non-gender specific pronouns, this may continue to be an issue.

However, Lucky Oceans is a great name no matter the gender!

as much as I like ARR's song, gotta agree that women soldiers need some recognition....for putting their lives in harm's way women are almost never thought of as soldiers....
...on the other side, as an artist...have an awareness that what i put out there may not be okay with me to change....but you'll hear from the uppity folks, bless them, that have a differing view....that's part of art...

so i love Asleep at the Wheel....they don't come East much but in November they played at a club across the street and the same night Arlo and family were in town with the Legacy tour... so got a chance to wander down after the Guthrie concert and listen to a few tunes...

just assume soldiers is gender neutral, women have been caught up in wars since wars began, I hate the thought of any gender involved in that stupidity!

You can register songs with BMI for free. But you have to sign with them exclusively, I think. Not the same as copyrighting, but it's something.

www.BMI.com

Now that sounds like a Woman I knew

Here's a rewrite of the first two stanzas to be more inclusive. I stand by my biblical allusion in the other stanza, though.

The winds of change blow accross the land
The desert for to cool
They bluster on through Baghdad
Then blow on to Kabul
And on their gusts are born the heros
Ready for well-earned rest
Oh, soldiers, weary, all return
Home to the eagle's nest

It's been six years since last your boots
On your home soil have trod
And since you bade your spouse farewell
With a kiss, a wink, a nod
You knew not then how long you'd go
You never could have guessed
'Twas for too long, but now return
Home to the eagle's nest


And yeah, I'd rather pay the 40 bucks and keep the rights to my songs than do BMI for free and have them collect royalties.

Myland 2, you got me, I knew a woman like that once! She is a memory now!

just what do you mean by, "sign"?

:) !!!!

"agnes, go to your room!!"

Having skimmed their website, if you publish through them, you can't use another similar service, and they get all royalties.

oh.

Bravo, ARR! Beautiful.

This song is beautiful, as it was before, but now it really speaks to me, and I think will speak to more people than it did before. I'm glad you kept the Biblical reference as it was; that's different.

I am in tears over your listening and responding as a songwriter... and over the extent to which this community laughed, but then listened. It's not happened many times in the last 40 years of my experience.