I'm posting a song a day from the Rise Up Singing songbook, which you may or may not know. It's a pretty invaluable resource for song leaders, and useful for anyone who likes to sing in groups. The book doesn't include the melodies to the songs, just the lyrics and some chords, so I’m trying hard to find the tunes I don’t know, learn them, and post them on YouTube for anyone to learn. That’s where these videos are hosted; the blog is just pretty packaging.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Singing For Our Lives
By Holly Near, whose version of the song can be downloaded for free from her website
Rise Up Singing chapter: Struggle, p.218
D - G D / A - D A / D - G D / A - G D
You have the option (one of an infinite number, I suppose) of staying on G (skipping the D) at the very end of the chord pattern, while you sing or say over it the upcoming line, to prompt those singing along. That's what I do. You'll see in the video.
1. We are a gentle, angry people
And we are singing, singing for our lives (repeat everything once)
2. A justice-seeking people
3. An anti nuclear people
4. An anti racist people
5. An anti-sexist people
6. Young and old together
7. Gay and straight together (Gay and lesbian people)
8. A land of many colours (colors)
9. We stand for women of all nations
10. We are all in this together
I wouldn't recommend singing absolutely all these verses. I haven't heard Holly Near herself sing all of them in one performance, either. If you sing all 3 "anti-something" options, it might get overly repetitive. Then again, as you like...
No comments:
Post a Comment