1. |
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Lyrics:
"May it please your Honors,"
lawless violence vindicated by our fathers
are they pirates or sea robber, negroes or cargo
in truth, does any man know? no.
no law but no doubt these blacks are slaves
with savage, heathen barbarian names
like Kimbo Choolay Quarto Cinque
captured African property from Mende
these slaves rose upon the crew
killed and slew, sparing only two, to put Africa in view
but we do not see Africa we only see murder
we commit violence to black life further
by seeing violence as the black slave
we remember, we remember the master as brave
we must recognize the power of slavery in the present,
tyrannical benevolence the moral sentence
lawless violence of the masters, captors
lawless violence of the owners, purchasers
less violence for the violent
more suffering for the silenced
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2. |
Language/Resistance
03:28
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I learned to speak english at Sierre Leone
I learned english was the words of freedom
Mende the tongue of slaves, of chattel, of negroes
in the halls of justice she throws
around liberty language Africans can't understand it
or would not or even further should not
justice is exclusively english I wish my words would exist
in circuit, Supreme, and district
Listen.
This is the resistance.
Listen up.
This is the resistance.
Listen up now.
Resistance is existence.
Why would "give us free"-- a definitive
moment be in english instead of Mende
what message are we sending?
that slavery is never ending? It's time to end that.
colonial language in action
court-sanctioned satisfaction
on behalf of
justice above
eternal beloved
oh great divine favor
please remind the slaves that they will never be our neighbor
we silence the vanquished with opposite language
the opposite of providence is government,
its obvious we are judging justice
with English in our clutches
that much is true
we don't ask about the how, when, why, or who
we pursue virtue through those that sound like we do
but liberation is resisting the english nation
Mende is the destiny Mende is the best of me
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3. |
Middle Passage
01:12
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Cinque
Burnah 1st,
Carpree,
Dammah,
Fourrie 1st,
Shumah,
Conomah,
Choolay,
Burnah 2d,
Baah,
Cabbah,
Poomah,
Kimbo,
Peea,
Bang-ye-ah,
Saah,
Carlee,
Parale,
Morrah,
Yahome,
Narquor,
Quarto,
Sesse,
Con,
Fourrie 2d,
Kennah,
Lammane,
Fajanah,
Faah,
Yahboy,
Faquannah,
Berrie,
Fawnu,
Chockammaw,
Gabbow.
Teme,
Mahgra,
Kene,
Carria
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4. |
La Amistad
00:49
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These are the names of slaves on the Amistad schooner
who want to get to Africa sooner
rather than later kept in the presence of a jailer
by several men who believe their freedom to be greater than
even the creator who created man
equal in his favor it's equal on paper
but black skin has doomed the fate of many men to torture as inferior. white men are superior
black men the posterior
of society of propriety
uncouth black anxiety why these men fit for slavery
Africa please save me
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5. |
Mende Country
02:12
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Yes, this one is for Africa
land without white masters
native-born native-tongue
Mendi where our language from
bondage we will overcome
settling the question of freedom
we are slaves only in your opinion
where's your evidence at?
look into our hearts
where you see a stranger
a being you endanger
ask your divine favor
does he bless negroes of a foreign nature?
not according to your legislature
but here I am
here we are
under the scar of slavery
Africa is made of me
black skin black body
black as can be
two countries with a middle passage in between
is our journey
flesh burning
from the whip contact on my back
unlawfully kidnapped
but
here i am
here we are
known from afar
owned from afar
went from cargo to going home in Leone
Sierra and when you talk freedom
know my people are its bearer
so here I am
here we are
my soul is home in Africa
I'm going home to Africa
back to Africa
I'm going home to Africa
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At The Regal Austin, Texas
At The Regal is the musical project of myself, Marlon Hedrick.
I am interested
in the motion between words and phrases and worlds and places.
Booking/Contact info: hedrickm@utexas.edu
soundcloud.com/at-the-regal
Thanks to Travis Riddle for the banner and Anushka Jasraj for the profile picture artwork.
... more
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