1. |
Omar
04:09
|
|||
|
Omar comes over the fence at the border,
To the relative safety of Spain
He’s come from Algeria, westbound to Ceuta,
To test his fate on the sea
The crowded boats rock in the heavy waves,
The land fades behind finally
Growing up poor, the scars from the civil war,
Omar’s seen hardship and pain
In songs and in pages, in prices and wages,
The colonial memory remains
And up north they ask what they are running from,
And somehow they still fail to see
The big money flows through the global casino
And sends people far from their homes
For shanties in Calle and stadiums in Qatar,
To warehouses, factories, and farms
To be mistreated, and cheated,
While the facts of their lives are ignored
The fascists they gather, beneath football banners,
And boast of the pride in their veins
Their perspectives distorted, their history perverted,
They cling to machismo and hate
And it looks like the past, came right back,
And started all over again
In Sweden and Italy, in Greece and in Germany,
In France and in England you’ll find
The slogans and rallies that tell the sad story
Of a right-wing again on the rise
And it looks like the past, came right back,
And started all over again
Many before us have gone to the mountains,
To gather, prepare, and to train
While others have stayed in the towns and the cities,
To organize and educate
And what about you? What will you do?
You can’t be neutral on a moving train.
|
||||
2. |
Smell It In The Air
03:50
|
|||
|
I saw a picture on the internet
You we're rising like a flame
It captured your pride
And determination
And you broke through the police lines
And you made it to the square
And there's something that connects us
You can smell it in the air
When they murdered Alexandros
The banks began to burn
They patrolled the streets but you were there
At every turn
And the world will not soon forget
What happened there
And there's something that connects us
You can smell it in the air
Heard about the Friday marches
From a friend of a friend
Said you'd been murdered and jailed
And you'd come back again
Said you'd stared into the soldiers eyes
And they didn't seem to care
And there's something that connects us
You can smell it in the air
I saw a picture on the internet
You we're rising like a flame
And the water from the hoses
Poured down like rain
Barricades went up at Taksim
There was vomit everywhere
There's something that connects us
You can smell it in the air
Heard you didn't stop marching
Like it was 1965
And your so-called leaders flew to town
To keep you in line
And you broke the curfew openly
And your hands were in the air
And there's something that connects us
You can smell it in the air
|
||||
3. |
To Keep You Silent
05:06
|
|||
|
They'll keep you in solitary confinement
Who knows for how long
It's the only way to keep you silent
But your silence is strong
They who are so skilled in torture
At terrorizing faith
They who striped your body naked
Who degrade and humiliate
They who are so skilled in warfare
Under the banner of peace
Who killed 2 million Koreans
And 4 million Vietnamese
They'll keep you in solitary confinement
Who knows for how long
It's the only way to keep you silent
But your silence is strong
They who rode through the Powder River
With the machine gun and the flame
Who killed Crazy Horse in prison
And stormed the Philippines
They who flew the air of the Condor
Where the Madres dared to talk
Who killed thousands in Santiago
You heard it's echoes in Iraq
They'll keep you in solitary confinement
Who knows for how long
It's the only way to keep you silent
But your silence is strong
|
||||
4. |
See It Through
03:00
|
|||
|
They got cops on the streets, walking in lines
With tazer guns, and wooden batons
They're trying to keep you scared with violent attacks
It all comes down to how you react
Now you're face to face, seeing it all
Dispersal warnings, they're making the call
They got busses to pack, with people like you
When they did that in the 50's the movement grew
Young student, new to the game
Movement elder, fanning the flames
Combat Veteran, seen it before
Same tactics used in the foreign war
Final warning, you're keeping your ground
Committed people sitting all around
Through the bullhorn it's all distorted
You can leave now, we can't afford it
Hold the line, even if your voice shakes
Friend of mine, even if your voice shakes
Push forward, it's up to you
See it through
Silence breaks, voices are loud
Rubber bullets crack, pierce the crowd
Heart's start pumping, scared but proud
Because there's people still sitting in the tear gas cloud
The line advances, they're swinging the sticks
Hear the marching boots and the tazer clicks
Screaming erupts, someone got struck
People calling for a medic, they better hurry up
Vomit, comes like a flood
Getting choked by the gas, hands covered in blood
Bruised and beaten, limping away
Remember it's always been this way
They'll beat you down, show the guns
It gets violent sometimes, but that how it comes
You stand firm, organize and then come back
Until there's too many people for them to attack
|
||||
5. |
Come Back Stronger
04:08
|
|||
|
With your dreams, you move the world
You pull them from your heart, the spark travels far
They will move if they are ready to move
With your hands, you move the world
By example you prove what's possible
They will move if they are ready to move
With patience, you move the world
It build up slow, stay present as it grows
They will move if they are ready to move
You can see the path, the way it unfolds before you
You travel down it and it grows.
With your heart, you move the world
Chant your chant and sing your song, keep the people strong
They will move if they are ready to move
With your fists, you move the world
It boils and it teethes, it ruptures and bleeds
They will move if they are ready to move
You can see the path, the way it unfolds before you
You travel down it and it grows.
With courage, you move the world
Face the gas and the baton, and come back stronger
They will move if they are ready to move
You can see the path, the way it unfolds before you
You travel down it and it grows.
|
||||
Ryan Harvey Baltimore, Maryland
After more than a dozen self-released albums, folk-punk trailblazer Ryan Harvey has teamed up with Kareem Samara (London) & Shireen Lilith (Amsterdam) with Thin Blue Border, the trio’s debut album. Blending the flowing sounds of the Arabic oud with Harvey’s rhythmic folk-punk guitar strumming and Lilith’s haunting melodies the trio is forging a new sound. ... more
If you like Thin Blue Border - Vol. 1, you may also like:
Guardians Of Our Time
by Edd Donovan and The Wandering Moles
Edd Donovan's day job as a social worker brings a sense of empathy to his elegantly constructed political folk music.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Jan 19, 2024
go to album
Beautifully played and full of moving vocal performances, the Bay Area singer/songwriter's latest is a stellar work of art.
go to album
Wry songs from this Washington artist that recall the homespun charm of early Mountain Goats.
go to album
Forever Only Idaho
by Harrison Lemke
Big, strummy songs that recall the heart-on-sleeve earnestness and lo-fi glory of early Mountain Goats.
go to album
Remember That I Love You
by Kimya Dawson
For the next week, proceeds from Kimya Dawson’s albums on Bandcamp will go to the family of Charleena Lyles.
go to album
Mind, Man, Medicine
by The Secret Sisters
The Alabama duo's fifth album exults in dusty Americana, showcasing rich vocal harmonies alongside blissful folk instrumentation.
go to album
