About a month or so ago I was introduced to sing/songwriter K'Naan, a man who is a voice for people in Africa. I was really taken back by his songs, more specifically, his lyrics and ever since I started listening to him, I can't stop. I have never in my life experienced music in this type of way; his songs have put the emotional experience of music on a whole new level for me. I feel like it's something that I can't really explain, something that someone has to be able to experience for themselves.
One of my favourite songs on K'Naan's album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher is "In the Beginning". This is one of those songs that the music has just as much meaning as the lyrics; the music in no way takes away from the lyrics and their meaning, but heightens the overall effect of the song. The lyrics can be found here and the video here.I strongly urge you to listen to the song first, get a feel for it, make your own assumptions about it and then take a deeper look by looking at the lyrics. I will leave you with my favourite passage from this song:
They say it's better to light a candle than to curse the dark
In the eyes of the youth there are question marks
Like freedom
Freedom for the mind and soul
We don't see them
See them for their worth at all
That's why we lead them
Lead them to these wars and what is it we feed them
Feed them our impurities and who it is we treat them
Treat them like the enemy humanity will need them
Need them like the blood we spill and we're freedom
Freedom for the hearts we fill
Mislead them
They hunger for the love we give
But we cheat them
The cops beat them when all he wants is his freedom
So they defeat them
Whatever spirit he's got
Beat them
And they teach them that the rest of the world don't need him
And he believes it's a disease that he's heathen
Put up your fists if all you want is freedom
