Over the next few days I will offer my Top Albums (yes, I still listen to fully developed albums, not just mp3s of a single song), my playlist of the best songs/ my favorites of the year (I will put a mix tape on drop box for anyone interested) and today's entry:
Song of the Year
By declaring song of the year, I am not saying this is the best song in 2010. In fact, it was not. However, this song fully captures the spirit of 2010. It is a haunting track off Anais Mitchell's powerful Folk Opera based upon the myth of Orpheus, Hadestown (an easy top 10 album). This albums has guests like Ani DiFranco and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), but the highlight of the album is this song which captures that 2010 spirit, espeically in light of Tea Parties, Immigration reform, mosque battles, recession and people in need and the response many of us have to those we consider "other", "different," or "outsider."
There is no real video, but here it is on youtube coupled with another song. Listen to Why We Build the Wall by Anais Mitchell and Greg Brown:
HADES
Why do we build the wall?
My children, my children
Why do we build the wall?
Why do we build the wall?
My children, my children
Why do we build the wall?
CERBERUS
Why do we build the wall?
We build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
HADES
How does the wall keep us free?
My children, my children
How does the wall keep us free?
CERBERUS
How does the wall keep us free?
The wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
HADES
Who do we call the enemy?
My children, my children
Who do we call the enemy?
CERBERUS
Who do we call the enemy?
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
HADES
Because we have and they have not!
My children, my children
Because they want what we have got!
CERBERUS
Because we have and they have not!
Because they want what we have got!
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
HADES
What do we have that they should want?
My children, my children
What do we have that they should want?
CERBERUS
What do we have that they should want?
We have a wall to work upon!
We have work and they have none
And our work is never done
My children, my children
And the war is never won
The enemy is poverty
And the wall keeps out the enemy
And we build the wall to keep us free
That’s why we build the wall
We build the wall to keep us free
We build the wall to keep us free
feel free to share your thoughts
1 comment:
It was good to hear Greg Brown's voice again, and it makes me want to dig through the archives and listen to his song "Daughters" again... while thinking about fear, greed, and prejudice... as well as shelter, protection, and sanctuary ... which all come to mind when I think of walls.
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