 | It's a brand-new dance/We're bringin' it back (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ms_xeno) wrote,
@ 2008-01-20 12:51:00 |
A Rerun, But Still Appropriate
A (clumsy) transcription*, and one I've posted before on other people's pages/boards. But to me it never gets stale.
June Jordan (1936-2002):
Freedom Now Suite, Pt. 1
-----------------------------
The King was marching through the Mississippi mud
The King was moving towards a land of milk and honey
Honey people murder mercy USA
The milk-land turned to monsters
Teach to kill to violate
Pull down destroy the weakly freedom growing fruit from being born
America
The King was marching through the Mississippi mud
The King was moving out from yesterday
Rip rape exacerbate despoil disfigure
Crazy running threat of deadly thrall
Appall the leaf dispel the wildlife
Burn the breast the onward tongue the outward hand
Deform the normal rainy riot sunshine shelter
Wreck of darkness
Derogate delimit blank explode deprive assassinate
and batten up like bullets
Batten up the raving greed
Reactivate a Springtime terrorizing
Death by men
By more than you or I can
STOP
The King could not be moved
He, marching through the Mississippi mud
He, moving towards a land of milk and honey
He cried
He cried Lord where is the help for my people
Lord, where is the justice where is the mercy rolling down
Where is the healing love, he cried
Lord
Behold the mighty multitudes of righteousness
And this is Selma, Lord
And this is Birmingham, Lord
And this is Albany, Georgia, Lord Lord
And this is Mississippi mud
And I AM MARCHING THROUGH
The King cried
Lord, this is Birmingham
These dogs
These torrents of attack
These children dead
These women thrown to the ground
Under the horses of evil
Lord, this is Vietnam
These same dogs
These torrents of attack
These children dead
These women burned by the fires of a powerful iniquity
WHERE IS THE HELP FOR MY PEOPLE ?!?!
*Via June Jordan's excellent collaboration with pianist Adrienne Torf.
Lots of other info on Jordan available here.
