Friday, December 23, 2005
Look at Us - Look at Them!
"Look at Us"
-- John Trudell - Spoken word - Tribal Voice Album (1983)
(Video adaptation on YouTube: "Look At Us" )
At times they were kind,
they were polite in their sophistication,
smiling but never too loudly,
acting in a civilized manner,
an illusion of gentleness,
always fighting to get their way,
while the people see,
the people know,
the people wait,
the people say,
the closing of your doors will never shut us out,
the closing of your doors can only shut you in.
We know the predator,
we see them feed on us,
we are aware to starve the beast is our destiny.
At times they were kind,
they were polite,
but never honest.
We see your tech no logical society
devour you before your very eyes
We hear your anguished cries
exalting greed through progress
While you seek material advances,
the sounds of flowers dying carry messages through the wind
trying to tell you about balance and your safety.
But your minds are chained to your machines
and the strings dangling from your puppeteers hands ...
turning you,
twisting you into forms and confusions beyond your control
Your mind for a job
your mind for a t.v.
your mind for a hair dryer
your mind for consumption.
With your atom bombs
your material bombs
your drug bombs
your racial bombs
your class bombs
your sexist bombs
your ageist bombs...
Devastating your natural shelters
making you homeless on earth
chasing you into illusions
fooling you,
making you pretend you can run away
from the ravishing of your spirit.
While the sound of flowers dying
carry messages through the wind
trying to tell you about balance and your safety.
Trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness
leading us into the trap
believe in their power
but not in ourselves
piling us with guilt
always taking the blame
greed chasing out the balance
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness.
Economic deities seizing power
through illusions created, armies are justified
class systems are democracy
god listens to warmongers prayers
tyranny is here
divide and conquer
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness
greed a parent
insecurity the happiness companion
genocide conceived in sophistication
tech no logic material civilization
a rationalization,
replacing a way to live
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness.
To God,
we hope you don't mind,
but we would like to talk to you.
There are some things we need to straighten out.
It's about these Christians.
They claim to be from your nation,
but man, you should see the things they do!
All the time, blaming it on you.
Manifest Destiny
Genocide
Maximized profits
Sterilization
Raping the earth
Lying
Taking more than they need
and all the forms of the greed
We ask them 'Why?'
They say "It's God's will".
Damn! God
They make it so hard.
Remember Jesus?
Would you send him back to them?
Tell them not to kill him,
rather they should listen,
stop abusing his name and your's.
We do not mean to be disrespectful,
but you know how it is.
Our people have their own ways.
We never even heard of you until not long ago.
Your representatives spoke magnificent things of you,
which we were willing to believe,
but from the way they acted,
we know you and we were being deceived.
We do not wish you or your Christian children any bad,
but you all came to take all we had.
We have not seen you,
but we have heard so much.
It is time for you to decide,
what life is worth.
We already remember.
But maybe you forgot!
Look at us, we are of Earth and Water
Look at them, it is the same
Look at us, we are suffering all these years
Look at them, they are connected.
Look at us, we are in pain
Look at them, surprised at our anger
Look at us, we are struggling to survive
Look at them, expecting sorrow be benign
Look at us, we were the ones called pagan
Look at them, on their arrival
Look at us, we are called subversive
Look at them, descending from name callers
Look at us, we wept sadly in the long dark
Look at them, hiding in tech no logic light
Look at us, we buried the generations
Look at them, inventing the body count
Look at us, we are older than America
Look at them, chasing a fountain of youth
Look at us, we are embracing Earth
Look at them, clutching today
Look at us, we are living in the generations
Look at them, existing in jobs and debts
Look at us, we have escaped many times
Look at them, they cannot remember
Look at us, we are healing
Look at them, their medicine is patented
Look at us, we are trying
Look at them, what are they doing
Look at us, we are children of Earth
Look at them, who are they?
========================
These words reek with power and inspiration when recited to the AIM song by Quiltman.
Remember...
A warrior is honored not because e fights, but rather for the cause e fights.
John Trudell's Home Page
Trudell - The Movie! John's life story
John Trudell on Myspace
John Trudell on Facebook
John Trudell on YouTube
John Trudell Video Archives
-- John Trudell - Spoken word - Tribal Voice Album (1983)
(Video adaptation on YouTube: "Look At Us" )
At times they were kind,
they were polite in their sophistication,
smiling but never too loudly,
acting in a civilized manner,
an illusion of gentleness,
always fighting to get their way,
while the people see,
the people know,
the people wait,
the people say,
the closing of your doors will never shut us out,
the closing of your doors can only shut you in.
We know the predator,
we see them feed on us,
we are aware to starve the beast is our destiny.
At times they were kind,
they were polite,
but never honest.
We see your tech no logical society
devour you before your very eyes
We hear your anguished cries
exalting greed through progress
While you seek material advances,
the sounds of flowers dying carry messages through the wind
trying to tell you about balance and your safety.
But your minds are chained to your machines
and the strings dangling from your puppeteers hands ...
turning you,
twisting you into forms and confusions beyond your control
Your mind for a job
your mind for a t.v.
your mind for a hair dryer
your mind for consumption.
With your atom bombs
your material bombs
your drug bombs
your racial bombs
your class bombs
your sexist bombs
your ageist bombs...
Devastating your natural shelters
making you homeless on earth
chasing you into illusions
fooling you,
making you pretend you can run away
from the ravishing of your spirit.
While the sound of flowers dying
carry messages through the wind
trying to tell you about balance and your safety.
Trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness
leading us into the trap
believe in their power
but not in ourselves
piling us with guilt
always taking the blame
greed chasing out the balance
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness.
Economic deities seizing power
through illusions created, armies are justified
class systems are democracy
god listens to warmongers prayers
tyranny is here
divide and conquer
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness
greed a parent
insecurity the happiness companion
genocide conceived in sophistication
tech no logic material civilization
a rationalization,
replacing a way to live
trying to isolate us in a dimension called loneliness.
To God,
we hope you don't mind,
but we would like to talk to you.
There are some things we need to straighten out.
It's about these Christians.
They claim to be from your nation,
but man, you should see the things they do!
All the time, blaming it on you.
Manifest Destiny
Genocide
Maximized profits
Sterilization
Raping the earth
Lying
Taking more than they need
and all the forms of the greed
We ask them 'Why?'
They say "It's God's will".
Damn! God
They make it so hard.
Remember Jesus?
Would you send him back to them?
Tell them not to kill him,
rather they should listen,
stop abusing his name and your's.
We do not mean to be disrespectful,
but you know how it is.
Our people have their own ways.
We never even heard of you until not long ago.
Your representatives spoke magnificent things of you,
which we were willing to believe,
but from the way they acted,
we know you and we were being deceived.
We do not wish you or your Christian children any bad,
but you all came to take all we had.
We have not seen you,
but we have heard so much.
It is time for you to decide,
what life is worth.
We already remember.
But maybe you forgot!
Look at us, we are of Earth and Water
Look at them, it is the same
Look at us, we are suffering all these years
Look at them, they are connected.
Look at us, we are in pain
Look at them, surprised at our anger
Look at us, we are struggling to survive
Look at them, expecting sorrow be benign
Look at us, we were the ones called pagan
Look at them, on their arrival
Look at us, we are called subversive
Look at them, descending from name callers
Look at us, we wept sadly in the long dark
Look at them, hiding in tech no logic light
Look at us, we buried the generations
Look at them, inventing the body count
Look at us, we are older than America
Look at them, chasing a fountain of youth
Look at us, we are embracing Earth
Look at them, clutching today
Look at us, we are living in the generations
Look at them, existing in jobs and debts
Look at us, we have escaped many times
Look at them, they cannot remember
Look at us, we are healing
Look at them, their medicine is patented
Look at us, we are trying
Look at them, what are they doing
Look at us, we are children of Earth
Look at them, who are they?
========================
These words reek with power and inspiration when recited to the AIM song by Quiltman.
Remember...
A warrior is honored not because e fights, but rather for the cause e fights.
John Trudell's Home Page
Trudell - The Movie! John's life story
John Trudell on Myspace
John Trudell on Facebook
John Trudell on YouTube
John Trudell Video Archives
