Red Alabaster and Blue

By Celia Farran

©2007 Red Granite Goddess Publishing, used by permission of author

Celia's CD's are available at http://celiaonline.com/
 
 

 

"I dedicate this song to all of the Americans

who are not getting their stories told on Fox News." --Celia

 

Capo iv (play in G, sounds in B)
No Intro
             G           C           G
1. He is a young African   American male.
        G                                    C               G
By the time he hits draft age-- he might be dead or live in jail
        G                                      C         D      G
And he found his life of crime when they said “No Child Left Behind”
 G           D        G
   He’s an American, too.
 
           G             C           G
2, She is ninety with dementia all alone
           G                               C               G
Well, her family couldn’t take it so they put her in that home
             G                             C         D      G
And now she withers down to bones, and at night she gently moans.
 G           C        G
  She’s an American, too.
 
3. She is a young Hmong refugee, she’s full with child.
If her daddy finds out, he will go insanely wild
They say they understand her plight, call themselves the Christian Right.
She’s an American, too.
 
                       D  G      C  D    G
    Ch1: And all they wanted was to be free
                   D  G                  C  D G
    But greenback dollars can’t buy you dignity
                    D  G                      Em   C
    Black gold and icebergs separate us from them.
     G           D                G             
    Time to re-write the master plan.
 
4. It is terminal, he’s sick, he needs a cure
He’s a second class citizen because he’s uninsured
He will leave his family broke because our health care is a joke.
He’s an American too
 
5. She is a Mexican, she loves her family
She risks her life to cross the boarder to harvest the trees
And they get dollars to her dime, she works triple the time.
What she would give to be American too.
 
6, He is a young attractive man and he is gay.
Well, they beat him and they burned him and they left him that way
And now the 26th of April is the Silent Day
He’s an American too
 
                  D   G        C  D   G
Ch 2:   And all they wanted was a better life
                   D G               C                  G
        And to be Equal, no matter black, rainbow, or white
                      D  G                     Em   C
               It’s getting risky to demonstrate for peace.
 
        G               D             G
        Just might get shot down by police
             C    D     Em
        We’re crying Oh…  Oh…   Oh…
                        C    D    G
          Oh…… Oh…… Oh

 

7. His hair is curly, skin is freckled, eyes are green
“No Irish Need Apply.” What’s wrong Mick can’t you read?
Right off the boat he hits the land, they shove a gun into his hands.
Saying, “You’ll die for America, too”.
 
8. Her skin is black her hair is curly eyes are brown
Arrived here in shackles and her master threw her down
And she grits her pearly whites ‘cuz they’ll beat her if she fights
She’s an American, too.
 
9. His skin is Red his eyes are brown his hair is black
Lived here in peace until the “White Man” attacked
And he tries to understand how a man could own the land.
He’s an American, too.
 
                      D  G      C  D   G
Ch 3:   And all they wanted was to be free
                        D     G                   C    G
        But they were robbed and ripped of their dignity
                        D  G                         Em    C
        And their grandmothers are crying in their graves.
                   G          D          G
        How some Americans behaved
               G                   D          G
        They watched their babies turned to slaves
               G       D          G
        Their babies built this place.
                       C     D     Em
        They’re crying Oh…   Oh…   Oh…
        C    D    G
        Oh…… Oh…… Oh
 

 

10. My hair is red, skin’s alabaster and I’m blue
I’m a spiritual shaman and my lover is a Jew
And we’re fierce and we’re proud and we serve our songs up loud
And we are Americans, too.
 
11. But there was a time they would have torched me without care
Tied me to that stake for the color of my hair
And I’m not the only one
It’s been done and done and done
And we are Americans, too
 
            G              C               G
My hair is red, skin’s alabaster, and I’m blue
             C        G
    And I’m an American, too.
 
 
               

    Additional information provided by Cern:

 
"Hmong Refugee" The Hmong originally lived in the country of Laos, which is next to Vietnam. During the war, the Hmong assisted the Americans—which proved to be a fatal mistake when America lost the war. Vietnamese retaliated and the Hmong left the country. They were persecuted in the Pol Pot regime of Khmer Rouge (Cambodia), so many went to Thailand. In the 1990’s they were no longer safe there either, and in 2004 the US government began taking in Hmong refugees. The Hmong worship their ancestors and spirits and look to their shamans for spiritual guidance.
 
The “young, attractive man” is a reference to Matthew Shepard, a 21 yr old murder victim who was attacked on October 6, 1998. He died six days later from the injuries. Wikipedia has basic info on the events of that day and what transpired afterwards. For in-depth info, go to the Matthew Shepard Resources Page. 
 
“The Silent Day” refers to the student movement began in 1996 called “Day of Silence” which calls for an end to bullying and discrimination against gays at schools. More info can be found at the Day of Silence website.
 
“No Irish Need Apply” has been found in newspaper ads of the 1800’s in both England and the USA. The “NINA” phrase was said to have been written on “Help Wanted” signs before the American Civil War—which saw the forced conscription of new Irish immigrants in 1862. Replicas of a 1915 sign from Boston with the NINA slogan on it are often found on sale on Ebay.
 
 

Thanks to Celia Farran for allowing her lyrics to be posted here and for her being a part of Cern's Pagan Songbook Online.  

 

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posted 07/07/07 ce