Y6 Wk45 - Freedom's Song with MP3

EDIT - MP3 now added. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=225059 - click on "Freedom's Song."

Very strange - but fulfilling - assignment on a number of levels, I reckon. I decided to go with the "different tuning" option - David had already said no open G for me, and I used open D for "Back On Track" a few weeks ago. Open A or open E would be cheating - might as well use open G or open D and capo up to the second fret. DADGAD I've tried once - had a go at "Kashmir" a few weeks back without a lot of success. Then I had a brainwave....what if I used DADGAD, and tuned the G string up to A? Sort of a Steven Stills tuning, like he used on "Suite - Judy Blue Eyes?"

So I tuned to DADAAD, and quickly found it was almost ridiculously easy to play a melody over chords, whilst I'd got a nice smooth drone in the background. In no time at all I'd got about half-a-dozen riffs, runs, fills, themes, whatever you want to call them. Blimey, I thought, this is building up into an epic of Biblical proportions.....and that gave me the idea for my lyrics.

Strange, I'm not really what you'd call a religious, or spiritual, person - I'm a (very!) lapsed Catholic. So I'm not really sure where this came from (cue Twilight Zone music, or a spooky church organ if you prefer) but it just seemed....right.

So, for better or for worse, here's the lyrics....based very loosely around the Israelites' flight from Egypt, although I don't own a comb (I use a brush, before you even ask....) so there's no parting of the Red Sea.

Oh, and I'm not too thrilled with the title - it was the best I could come up with at the time. Maybe something like "Freedom Psalm" would suit the song better?

Freedom's Song.

In a barren land of heat and dust my people lived in slavery,
Forced to worship craven idols, made to serve on bended knee,
Many died at the tyrant's hands, may their souls rest in peace,
Those who lived on came to look at death as merciful release.

We secretly kept the ways of old and we prayed to our God for delivery,
Send a sign so we may believe, give us hope one day we may be free,
Then the Lord appeared toa prophet one night, said, "Patience for the time is near,
For the end of oppression and tyranny for the people I hold dear."

The word was spread and the people waited till the night of the Royal Feast,
When the masters gorged themselves on ale and wine and many fattened beasts,
In dead of night we stole away and heade south 'cross desert land,
Till we found a waterhole and rested, there we vowed to make our stand.

Former warriors in our ranks, regained their manhood, swore to fight,
As we faced a mighty army in the harsh glare of the midday light,
Outnumbered, barely armed and scared, we refused to bow down to our knees,
Our faith had set us free and we would not return to slavery.

We faced our foe prepared to shed our blood and die for our beliefs,
The sky grew dark and a mighty wind arose against our enemies,
The tempest raged full day and night and when the sun rose once again,
Our former masters' blood ran red from the countless bodies of the slain.

Now our people live in a fertile land, we have no fear of servitude,
The women dance as the menfolk sing of the slaughter of the multitude,
And we till our crops and tend our herds as we live in peace and harmony,
And we praise our Lord for deliverance as we sing songs of our release.

:D :D :D

Vic