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To Condemn the Ocean

from Liberty by Emcee Lynx & Beltaine's Fire

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about

An original arrangement of a traditional Irish folk song, re-envisioned as a trip-hop dirge.

lyrics

To Condemn the Ocean
The short (sung) verses are from the traditional Irish tune “Fisherman's Song”, the longer spoken-word verse is by Lynx.

By the storm torn shoreline a woman was standing
The spray strung like jewels in her hair
And the sea tore the rocks near that desolate landing
As though it had known she stood there

and white were the wavecaps, and wild was their parting
for such is the warring of love
so she prayed to the gods, both of men and of sailors
Not to cast their cruel nets o’re her love

Now she has come down to condemn that wild ocean
For the murderous loss of her man
His boat sailed down on Wednesday morning
And it’s feared she’s gone down with all hands

Staring at the night sky stretching o'er the ocean
my mind is flooded with inexplicable emotion
I see the shadow of a woman long dead on the rocks
eyes like the moon, sea spray in her locks
And she’s crying for the lover that she’s lost to the sea
frozen in the moment and she can’t see me
It’s the ghost of my people, an echo from the past
her cries in the wind and the way the waves crash
and not much has changed after all these years
and the seas salt spray still taste like tears
and I can’t help screamin at the night sky
why do so many good people have to die?
But I know the reason why, and the gods ain’t listenin'
Poor men die for the rich mans glistenin
Gold, as we’re sold one day at time,
Our poverty is violence; their wealth is a crime
And I’m sick of being poor, tryna raise a commotion -
But I’m feelin’ like I might as well condemn the ocean


and now she has come down, to condemn that wild ocean
For the murderous loss of her man
His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning
And it's feared she's gone down with all hands.

There's a school on the hill where the sons of dead fathers
Are led toward tempests and gales
where their god-given wings are clipped close to their bodies
And their eyes are bound round with ship's sails

What force leads a man to a life filled with danger?
On the seas or in mines underground
It's when need is his master, and poverty's no stranger
And there's no other work to be found

So she has come down to condemn that wild ocean
For the murderous loss of her man
His boat sailed out on Wednesday morning
And it's feared she's gone down with all hands.

credits

from Liberty, released September 12, 2008

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Emcee Lynx & Beltaine's Fire Oakland, California

Beltaine's Fire is a 5-piece folk-rap juggernaut of revolutionary love & rage taking aim at the dark heart of Empire.

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