Sneak preview: song lyrics of ‘Right of Return’!

Those of you who follow Doc Jazz are already aware that – after more than one year of musical silence – there is a new song on the way! This song covers one of the most central topics of the Palestinian struggle: the Right of Return. Since the song is already recorded, and is now in its final stages of mixing, it has been decided to already publicize the lyrics. It is unknown yet when the song will really be released, but it should be some time soon! For now, read on to get to the lyrics.

 

 

 

Olive trees

 

In this song, Doc Jazz addresses the new generations of Palestinians living in the diaspora. In the first verse, they are compared to the olive trees of Palestine. They are inseparable from the Palestinian landscape; they are an important part of the identity of the land and the people of Palestine. Over one million of these precious trees have already been uprooted by the Zionist invaders, and this uprooting is compared in the song to the violent expulsions of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their land in 1948 and 1967. The younger generations are called upon to cherish their roots.

 

The old will die

 

‘Right of Return’ also gives a defiant reply to the infamous words of the first Prime Minister of the Zionist state, Ben Gurion, referring to how Palestinians will deal with their expulsion. He said: “The old will die, and the young will forget.” In this song, Doc Jazz stresses that the young will not forget, but on the contrary will learn the history of their land, and cherish their connection to it. Both choruses underline the fact that even future generations of Palestinians will not accept their diaspora, and will hold on to the keys of their original family homes  – determined to return to Palestine.

 

United Nations

 

The verse after the first chorus refers to the promises made in the United Nations. UN resolution 194 affirms the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, but Doc Jazz criticizes the fact that these words have never been put into practice. In the verse after that, the song also illustrates how that same UN body that affirmed these rights also endorsed the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by recognizing the Zionist state in 1948. The bridge after that confirms that this issue must be decided by the Palestinians, and that the right of return is not a matter of ink on paper, but an inalienable right that must be exercised: let them talk the talk, while we walk the walk.

 

The music

 

The song features Doc Jazz as usual on all instruments and vocals, except for one guest musician who really gives it a distinctive sound by lending it her virtuoso saxophone licks and solos: Susanne Alt. Those who are familiar with the music will recognize her soulful sound from the Doc Jazz album Front Door Key, where she livened up songs like ‘Running out of Time’ and ‘The Wall Must Fall’, among others. On ‘Right of Return’, she really radiates – yet again !

 

Enough background information now. Here are the lyrics to the new Doc Jazz song: ‘Right of Return’. Don’t miss it when it comes out ! Stay tuned by following @docjazzmusic on Twitter, and joining the (19,000 member) Doc Jazz fan page on Facebook.

 

The lyrics

 

Right of Return – Doc Jazz

 

You are like the olive tree

Just like you were meant to be

Though your roots dig deep into the land

They were uprooted by a savage hand

 

But the ties were forged through centuries

A bond so strong and fixed in history

You are the land and the land is you

A solid unity they never can undo

 

Cherish your leaves, let your branches bear your fruits

All you need to do is protect and feed your roots

 

The old will die, but the young will learn

The road is long and it will twist and turn

But when you know your destiny

You know where you need to be

And we always will believe

It’s our Right to Return

 

–

 

Black on white they wrote that vow

But to act on it was not allowed

Empty words like a carrot on a stick

Ink is fading as the clock goes on to tick

 

Dispossession and racial oppression

Every psycho form of Zionist aggression

Was condoned by that very same force

Though they say our rights are still endorsed

 

We don’t need your words, they’re just empty talk

Why don’t you just keep on talking while we walk the walk

 

The old have died, but the young are strong

We know who we are and where we belong

With the key in our hand

We’ll come home to our land

We know we will always stand

for our Right of Return

 

–

Copyright © Doc Jazz 2011