(Spoken)
1.
Long ago in ancient Ireland
A miracle occurred, they say.
When all the serpents and the vipers
Were banished clean away.
(chorus)
Walk today if you're for freedom.
Stay at home if you've been paid
Purged of hypocrites and traitors
Is this St. Patrick's Day parade.
2.
Now today in New York City
The miracle has been replayed,
For all the serpents have departed
From this St. Patrick's Day parade.
3.
Keane and Moynihan and Carey
Will not be here with us today,
For Flannery, the new St. Patrick,
Has sent them slithering away.
4.
Look around you at the faces,
Not a serpent will you see,
Irish men and Irish women
Today march proud and free.
words & tune by
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1983)
(March 13th for March 17th)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The Ballad of Bobby Sands
words and music by
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1981
Inside the prison at Long Kesh
They threw Bobby Sands in his prime
For fighting to free his own country
The English they count it a crime
"I'll not be named a criminal or thief
By the thieves who have plundered our land
Not a morsel more of food or drink
Will I take from the tyrant's hand"
He held to his fast for sixty-six days
Till his young frame grew shriveled and old
But the weaker that his body became
The stronger the light of his soul
"We have battled before with the weapons of war
With the gun and the bomb and the knife
And Ireland's a colonized nation still
Now my weapon will be my life"
Bobby's mother came to his prison cell
She said, "Oh my son, I must try
To save your life, if ever I can
For how can I watch you die?"
"Oh mother, do not mourn for me
For I'm fighting to set Ireland free
I am making a gift to my country
Of the gift that you first gave to me.
"Oh sister, you loaned me your voice
When they silenced the sound of my own
And after I am dead and gone
You will speak out as loud and as strong"
He turned his body to the wall
And the breathing it left his face
But for every lad who perishes so
Another will take his place
Of heroes Ireland has more than her share
They are known throughout all of the lands
And in heaven now, Mac Swiney takes the hand
Of our brave young Bobby Sands.
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1981
Inside the prison at Long Kesh
They threw Bobby Sands in his prime
For fighting to free his own country
The English they count it a crime
"I'll not be named a criminal or thief
By the thieves who have plundered our land
Not a morsel more of food or drink
Will I take from the tyrant's hand"
He held to his fast for sixty-six days
Till his young frame grew shriveled and old
But the weaker that his body became
The stronger the light of his soul
"We have battled before with the weapons of war
With the gun and the bomb and the knife
And Ireland's a colonized nation still
Now my weapon will be my life"
Bobby's mother came to his prison cell
She said, "Oh my son, I must try
To save your life, if ever I can
For how can I watch you die?"
"Oh mother, do not mourn for me
For I'm fighting to set Ireland free
I am making a gift to my country
Of the gift that you first gave to me.
"Oh sister, you loaned me your voice
When they silenced the sound of my own
And after I am dead and gone
You will speak out as loud and as strong"
He turned his body to the wall
And the breathing it left his face
But for every lad who perishes so
Another will take his place
Of heroes Ireland has more than her share
They are known throughout all of the lands
And in heaven now, Mac Swiney takes the hand
Of our brave young Bobby Sands.
As-salaam (round)
tune by
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1988
As-salaam 'alaykum.
Wa-'alaykum as-salaam. (2x)
Peace be upon you.
And upon you be peace. (2x)
Ma as-salamah. (4x)
May you go in peace. (4x)
Introducing "As-salaam":
I wrote "As-salaam" because I think it is racist to imagine that Israelis yearn for peace and Palestinians don't.
"As-salaam" is in Arabic. It can be sung as a round, and it can be accompanied very effectively on an Arabic drum. You can also dance the hora, to "As-salaam." I did not write it this way by accident. The hora, a circle dance, is the national dance of Israel, and the unifying dance of Jews around the world. I'm truly hoping that what goes around comes around.
In 1989, the War Resisters League had a twleve-hour dance marathon--everything from salsa to square dancing. One portion of the event was a twelve-minute long "Peace Hora," danced to a medley of songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, and English. "As-salaam" was in the medley, along with "Hava Nagila," "Hevenu Shalom Aleichem," "Zum Gali Gali," "Shalom Chaverim," "Lomir Alle Freillach Zein," and another of my songs, "Shalom ve Salaam." On another memorable occasion, "As-salaam" was sung by the congregation at a Jewish feminist shabbot (sabbath) service.
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1988
As-salaam 'alaykum.
Wa-'alaykum as-salaam. (2x)
Peace be upon you.
And upon you be peace. (2x)
Ma as-salamah. (4x)
May you go in peace. (4x)
Introducing "As-salaam":
I wrote "As-salaam" because I think it is racist to imagine that Israelis yearn for peace and Palestinians don't.
"As-salaam" is in Arabic. It can be sung as a round, and it can be accompanied very effectively on an Arabic drum. You can also dance the hora, to "As-salaam." I did not write it this way by accident. The hora, a circle dance, is the national dance of Israel, and the unifying dance of Jews around the world. I'm truly hoping that what goes around comes around.
In 1989, the War Resisters League had a twleve-hour dance marathon--everything from salsa to square dancing. One portion of the event was a twelve-minute long "Peace Hora," danced to a medley of songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, and English. "As-salaam" was in the medley, along with "Hava Nagila," "Hevenu Shalom Aleichem," "Zum Gali Gali," "Shalom Chaverim," "Lomir Alle Freillach Zein," and another of my songs, "Shalom ve Salaam." On another memorable occasion, "As-salaam" was sung by the congregation at a Jewish feminist shabbot (sabbath) service.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Apartheid No, Liberation Yes
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Listen to the voices rising over Africa.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Listen to the people singing of Azania.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Apartheid no, liberation yes.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1983
(January, following the S.A.M.R.A.F. demonstration in front of the South African Airways office on Fifth Avenue in New York City)
This is a song for a large group, preferably walking in a demonstration. The main body of the group sings the chorus, over and over. The soloist (or second team) sings the chorus 3x, then the first verse 3x, then the chorus 3x, then the second verse 3x, chorus 3x, third verse 3x, chorus 3x. Then, by repeating the "liberation yes" half of the chorus once, the soloist converts the song into a round. After aa time, the soloist signals the ending by retarding and singing the slightly altered final notes.
Ideally, this song should be accompanied by six African drums. And it welcomes additional verses.
Liberation yes.
Listen to the voices rising over Africa.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Listen to the people singing of Azania.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Apartheid no, liberation yes.
Apartheid no,
Liberation yes.
Carole Rose Livingston (c) 1983
(January, following the S.A.M.R.A.F. demonstration in front of the South African Airways office on Fifth Avenue in New York City)
This is a song for a large group, preferably walking in a demonstration. The main body of the group sings the chorus, over and over. The soloist (or second team) sings the chorus 3x, then the first verse 3x, then the chorus 3x, then the second verse 3x, chorus 3x, third verse 3x, chorus 3x. Then, by repeating the "liberation yes" half of the chorus once, the soloist converts the song into a round. After aa time, the soloist signals the ending by retarding and singing the slightly altered final notes.
Ideally, this song should be accompanied by six African drums. And it welcomes additional verses.
Monday, July 27, 2009
The Anti-Choice Terrorists
words: Carole Rose Livingston @1994
tune: Get Thee Behind Me, Satan
1.
They love your foetus,
But they hate your guts.
They say they're right-to-lifers,
But they're violent nuts.
Chorus:
Oh what hypocrisy!
With all their piety
They are a violent menace,
A menace to society.
2.
They're crazy aas a coot.
They hear voices in their head
Preaching, "Save the foetus.
Kill the woman instead."
Chorus.
3.
They don't give a damn for life.
Their dogma is above
They commit murder
In the name of love.
Chorus.
4.
They terrorize the doctors,
Harass their kids at school.
This is how they're practicing
The Golden Rule.
Chorus.
5.
They're bullies and they're bombers.
They are arsonists.
They're stalkers and they'rre snipers.
They are terrorists.
Chorus.
6.
Well, now my song is ending,
And here's the point of it.
The right-to-life movement
Is a lying crock of shit.
Alternate chorus:
With all their piety--
Oh what hypocrisy!
They are a violent mance,
A clear and present danger,
A menace to democracy.
Chorus.
tune: Get Thee Behind Me, Satan
1.
They love your foetus,
But they hate your guts.
They say they're right-to-lifers,
But they're violent nuts.
Chorus:
Oh what hypocrisy!
With all their piety
They are a violent menace,
A menace to society.
2.
They're crazy aas a coot.
They hear voices in their head
Preaching, "Save the foetus.
Kill the woman instead."
Chorus.
3.
They don't give a damn for life.
Their dogma is above
They commit murder
In the name of love.
Chorus.
4.
They terrorize the doctors,
Harass their kids at school.
This is how they're practicing
The Golden Rule.
Chorus.
5.
They're bullies and they're bombers.
They are arsonists.
They're stalkers and they'rre snipers.
They are terrorists.
Chorus.
6.
Well, now my song is ending,
And here's the point of it.
The right-to-life movement
Is a lying crock of shit.
Alternate chorus:
With all their piety--
Oh what hypocrisy!
They are a violent mance,
A clear and present danger,
A menace to democracy.
Chorus.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SONGS
The Anti-Choice Terrorists (tune: Get Thee Behind Me, Satan)
Apartheid No, Liberation Yes (2 parts round)
As-salaam
The Ballad Of Bobby Sands
The Free Parade
Got the Sun In The Morning And The Wind At Night (tune: Got The Sun In The Morning)
Hey, Little Birdie
Hey, Man!
I Am A Working Woman (tune: Old Joe Clark)
I'm A Friend Of The Foetus
If You Lie Down
Ireland's Struggle Is A Women's Struggle
Joe Doyle's
Let The Light Shine On
Little Furry Things (llulabye To A Cat)
The Mensch Song
Moon Daughter (a menstruation chant)
My O My O Myomectomy
No More
Nobody Needs A Nuke (a.k.a. Everyone Needs A Hug And A Kiss)
Penelope's Lament
Power To The People
Queen Among The Roses
The RU 486 Waltz
Sauce For The Goose
Shalom ve Salaam
Silkwood
Sun Power, Wind Power
This Is Not A Prison
This Tree
Two Prayers
Update
We Are Branches
When I Was Just A Girl (Carl's Waltz)
POETRY
Nameless
Sparrow Flight
At Night
Epithalamia
Daddy's Little Audience
When I Am Old and Dry
Woman-Cenetering
I Write for Women
Forty-five in the Washroom Mirror
Peace
Glory at the Movies
And the Winners ARe...
That Boy
Theft Insurance
My City
Cassandra: A Bedtime Story
To Make a Better World
Sonnet: Affirming Atheism
Post Mortem
Amphibian
Elegy on a Cigarette
I've Been Many Kinds of Addict
I Want Visceral Rewards
The Stone Speaks
You Touched Me Everywhere
The Drunken Soliloquy of Prince Charming as the Clock Strikes One
And on the 1002nd Night
Lay
Galatea
To Carry Haiku
My Cherished Friend: The Charming Stranger
Mr. Right
Journeywoman
ORACLE
A Hyacinth for the Urban Soul
A Hyacinth for the Departed Soul
James and the Twenty-Seven Bicycles
The Anti-Choice Terrorists (tune: Get Thee Behind Me, Satan)
Apartheid No, Liberation Yes (2 parts round)
As-salaam
The Ballad Of Bobby Sands
The Free Parade
Got the Sun In The Morning And The Wind At Night (tune: Got The Sun In The Morning)
Hey, Little Birdie
Hey, Man!
I Am A Working Woman (tune: Old Joe Clark)
I'm A Friend Of The Foetus
If You Lie Down
Ireland's Struggle Is A Women's Struggle
Joe Doyle's
Let The Light Shine On
Little Furry Things (llulabye To A Cat)
The Mensch Song
Moon Daughter (a menstruation chant)
My O My O Myomectomy
No More
Nobody Needs A Nuke (a.k.a. Everyone Needs A Hug And A Kiss)
Penelope's Lament
Power To The People
Queen Among The Roses
The RU 486 Waltz
Sauce For The Goose
Shalom ve Salaam
Silkwood
Sun Power, Wind Power
This Is Not A Prison
This Tree
Two Prayers
Update
We Are Branches
When I Was Just A Girl (Carl's Waltz)
POETRY
Nameless
Sparrow Flight
At Night
Epithalamia
Daddy's Little Audience
When I Am Old and Dry
Woman-Cenetering
I Write for Women
Forty-five in the Washroom Mirror
Peace
Glory at the Movies
And the Winners ARe...
That Boy
Theft Insurance
My City
Cassandra: A Bedtime Story
To Make a Better World
Sonnet: Affirming Atheism
Post Mortem
Amphibian
Elegy on a Cigarette
I've Been Many Kinds of Addict
I Want Visceral Rewards
The Stone Speaks
You Touched Me Everywhere
The Drunken Soliloquy of Prince Charming as the Clock Strikes One
And on the 1002nd Night
Lay
Galatea
To Carry Haiku
My Cherished Friend: The Charming Stranger
Mr. Right
Journeywoman
ORACLE
A Hyacinth for the Urban Soul
A Hyacinth for the Departed Soul
James and the Twenty-Seven Bicycles
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