Compelling vocals and instrumentation drive this humanitarian plea.
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progressive
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world
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Story behind the song
Coming of age in the scrappy border town of Niagara Falls, where there was not a single community mental health program, suicide was just one jump away for many. This was written long ago while founding a self-help psychiatric reform activism group. The middle 8 climax near the end of the song, recalls my childhood memory of the mid 60's big eastern seaboard power outage, which was reported as being caused by a guy at the power plant accidentally flipping the wrong switch. Somehow, mankind's survival may require a similar but larger, catastrophic power outage.
Lyrics
In my 19th year of do or die my spirit gave to rise
The great river Niagara, how it's poisoned waters cried
A voice called out and spoke to me and this is what it said
"Your great waterfall represents the falls of all the great kings now dead"
And I said "Dear Lord, give us life, give us light
Give us love to live in peace and understanding
Give us light, give us life
Give us love to save the goodness of humanity
And please grant this world some Roar City survival"
(Instrumental)
In my 19th year of do or die my spirit gave to rise
The great river Niagara, how it's poisoned waters cried
A voice called out and spoke to me and this is what it said
"The soul of every suicide will rise again one day"
And I said "Dear Lord, give us life, give us light
Give us love to live in peace and understanding
Give us light, give us life
Give us love to save the goodness of humanity
And please grant this world some Roar City survival"
I remember how the eastern seaboard died
'Cause some guy here pulled a switch
Oh Lord grant the power to save us from the midnight hour
And give us light...