Music with Meaning
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
For Iranians, especially those who’ve protested against their brutal regime, the Iran war presents a puzzling dichotomy. Some want regime change and even welcome the incursion. Others are incensed by the invasion by two foreign powers, who have not only destroyed military installations, but also mistakenly killed innocent civilians and damaged centuries-old heritage. They’ve become even more nationalistic.
Individuals themselves are torn between these disparate emotions. And the feeling extends to many Iranians abroad, who enjoy freedom and feel contempt for the regime, but also feel an uprooting of their familial homeland.
I have tried to focus on all those “caught in the crossfire."
Thanks to the individuals who contributed: Kate and Sue; my wife, Nargues (Jackie), who steered me in a different musical direction after hearing my first pass, telling me, “You’re recycling your old material”; and Kevin, who helped me realize this musical vision. Finally, a shout-out to singer-songwriter (and my web designer) Grant for the title, which helped plant the seeds of inspiration.
Thanks, 🤠.
CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE
(feat. Kevin Fisher)
©2026 Music & Words by Ron Ovadia
Vocals: Kevin Fisher
Produced by: Kevin Fisher & Ron Ovadia
Piano & Orchestration: Kevin Fisher
Piano: Ron Ovadia
Recording, Mixing & Mastering: Kevin Fisher
Cover Art: Grant Maloy Smith
LYRIC
Brave, innocent souls
Trapped in the divide
Their protest put on hold
How do they choose a side?
Gunned down by their leaders
For their opposition
Then battered by invaders
It’s a no-win position
How do they free themselves
Stuck in the middle?
How do they keep the dream
of democracy alive
When tryin’ to save their homeland
And struggling to survive
Bombarded by the armies
Of two mighty nations
With a country and a culture
In devastation
How will they ever find
A home?
Caught in the crossfire
Some are cheering
For their rulers to be gone
Caught in the crossfire
And in tears
Hoping that their country will live on
When will leaders learn
Fighting’s no solution
It just ignites a cycle
Of endless retribution
Ordinary people
Want peace in the end
Want to wipe out an enemy
Make them your friend
How do we break this trap
Together?
CHORUS
Lost are the voices
That long to be free
And the hundred and fifty schoolgirls
We’ll never see
It’s hard to see a future
Where anyone thrives
When those who aim to free you
Lose sight of human lives
CHORUS