Vow
© Cairril Adaire 1998
Broken Bruised Shattered And torn (You’re sorry)
Scarred Blistered Battered Unborn (Always sorry)
Incest Rape No more trust (You’re sorry)
You call it love You call it lust (Always sorry)
Terrorized Hypnotized Rooted to the spot (So sorry)
Eyes wide open Soul is cut (Always sorry)
Fear Nightmares Numbness Pain (So sorry)
Betrayal Violence Terror Flame
Our children are watching
Our children are watching
Our children are learning
Our children are dying
I try to make it better
I try to do it right
I try not to make you mad
I try to stop the fights
But what can I do when it’s too late
When the hands of love
Become the hands of hate
I heard on the news the other day
Yet another story ’bout a sistah blown away
I’m tellin’ you, the fire, it stops here
Listen to me, brothers, let’s make it very clear:
I hold this body holy
I hold this body sacred
I hold this body inviolate
I reject your violence, your hatred, your story!
Hey, hey hey hey
It stops here
Hey, hey hey hey
It stops today
Hey, hey hey hey
Your little game
Hey, hey hey hey
I won’t play
How long can this go on,
Father to son, we are broken,
Hey, we are broken
When will you face the truth,
Give up your abuse,
Broken, yes, you are broken
I’m tellin’ you today
I’m not gonna stay
In the place you’ve set for me
I’m stronger and I’m ready now
This is gonna stop, I take this vow:
I swear by the Earth and all I hold dear,
I will not stand by and watch this slaughter,
I will intervene, I’ll stand in your way,
You will not strike your sistah, your wife, your daughter
Hold this body holy
I hold this body sacred
I hold this body inviolate
I reject your violence, your hatred, your story!
Hey, hey hey hey
It stops here
Hey, hey hey hey
It stops today
Hey, hey hey hey
No more victims
Hey, hey hey hey
Because I say:
I hold this body holy
I hold this body sacred
I hold this body inviolate
I claim my life, my love, my rage!
[…] learned my piece Vow in about 2 and a half weeks, which is a record for us. It’s a difficult song. Not in […]