Blair Giles: Army
army – a song for parihaka
blair giles © 2000
Download here:army.mp3
i should have warned you
i should have taken you aside
bring your army, cos this is big
and it’s taking its toll on me
my hand won’t fit in your glove
bring your army, and let us see if we can’t
defend this edge of humanity
the land was progress
send out the sentinels, little boys with feathers in hand
march past the girls whose daddies didn’t sign
i said bring your army
all rifles and jelly babies to the scene
where the mountain stood silent in the background
bring your army
will we be tested on those pages that were glued long ago?
believing noise was progress
send out the sentinels, little boys with feathers in hand
march past the girls whose daddies didn’t sign
now that you’ve been emptied
now that you’ve been emptied of language
and cooled of warmth, pulled down south
now that you’ve been emptied
now that you’ve been emptied of language
and cooled of warmth, dragged down south
you, can i say you and me are the same?
a hand on the plough and a heart in the throat
send out those sentinels, little boys with feathers in their hands
and march past the girls skipping, whose daddies didn’t sign
i should have warned you
i should have taken you aside
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