I wrote Rise and Shine in one sitting. It describes the human complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as the lyrics fluctuate between Biblical and contemporary images. The chorus is meant to be a sing-along anthem for the innocent families caught in the crossfire of war.
lyrics
All the years we’ve lined up against the wall
As a mother breaks and her child grows cold
There are beautiful things about this desert plain
Like when the lanterns bloom from the mountain rain
Pull away your mask
Let me see your face
Let me touch your scars by the temple gates
Where the wolves they eat at the baby’s feet
And the gunshots ring down the one-way streets
See the uniforms on the teenage boys
The gorilla scarves and the bomb decoys
As the pillars rise along the barbed wire coils
It’s just another call to prayer through the shellfire noise
Rise and shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine
When I saw you there on the threshing floor
In the golden lace of the barley bales
And as the alter bleeds on this trail of tears
Olive branches kneel to the humid air
When I raise your head and I pierce your side
Will you look at me with those steadfast eyes?
When my last hello is a confused goodbye
They’re building up the tower of Babel in the eastern sky
Rise and shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine, shine
I’ve had many long thoughts
I’ve had many lost dreams
But my children live to see my frame grow weak
The wall still stands by the Cyprus tree
And my people sink into the banks of peace
I lie awake to machine gun fire
As the shadows dance to my voiceless choir
I could call this home but it’s now desire
As the music keeps playing on the other side
A dreamy improv-folk collage from Toronto multi-instrumentalist Clara Engel, who plays cigar box guitar, talharpa, melodica, and many more. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 20, 2022
Irish singer-songwriter Oisin Leech's acoustic folk music is characterized by its muted beauty and intimate, solitary quality. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 16, 2024
The haunting new record from Canadian folk artist Avi C. Engel bridges old and new traditions with a minimalist approach. Bandcamp New & Notable Feb 24, 2024
From Cork, Ireland, Lewis Barfoot writes mystic, majestic songs derived from regional folk, with an ambient music aura. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 11, 2023