Tuesday 8 October 2013

Song: Ain't No Reason -- Brett Dennen


Image from Google
Just last month, on the 21st September, there was the International Day of Peace, a gunmen attacked a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing at least 72 people. Yesterday was the World Habitat Day, although the theme chosen this year was urban mobility, that is transportation / transport, the main goal is still to allow a safe home for everyone.

Brett Dennen has this great song, Ain't No Reason, that I heard in the TV drama House M.D. and I love it! Particularly the African American accent the singer has at times.

The song tells many stories of unfairness in our world. Below is one of the best fan-made MTV I have come across.




There ain't no reason things are this way.
It's how they always been and they intend to stay.
I can't explain why we live this way.
We do it every day.

Preachers on the podium speaking of saints.
Prophets on the sidewalk begging for change.
Old ladies laughing from the fire escape,
Cursing my name.

I gotta a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same,
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing,
You can spend your whole life working for something,
Just to have it taken away.

People walk around pushing back their debts,
Wearing paychecks like necklaces and bracelets,
Talking about nothing, not thinking about death,
Every little heartbeat, every little breath.


walk a tightrope
Image from urbinavolant
People walk a tightrope on a razors edge.
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons.
It could be a bomb, or a bullet, or a pen,
Or a thought, or a word, or a sentence.

There ain't no reason things are this way.
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay.
I don't know why I say the things I say,
But I say them anyway.

But love will come set me free.
Love will come set me free, I do believe.
Love will come set me free, I know it will.
Love will come set me free, yes.

Prison walls still standing tall.
Some things never change at all.
Keep on building prisons, gonna fill them all.
Keep on building bombs, gonna drop them all.


Miners in an Illegal Indian mine
Image from washingtonpost
Working your fingers bare to the bone.
Breaking' your back, make you sell your soul.
Like a lung, it's filled with coal,
Suffocating slow.

The wind blows wild and I may move.
But politicians lie and I am not fooled.
You don't need no reason or a three piece suit,
To argue the truth.


Apple's sweat shop in China
Image from hipsterrunoff
The air on my skin and the world under my toes
Slavery stitched into the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever I go,
Love I try to follow.

Love will come set me free
Love will come set me free, I do believe
Love will come set me free, I know it will
Love will come set me free, yes

There ain't no reason things are this way.
Its how they've always been and they intend to stay.
I can't explain why we live this way.
We do it every day.



Peace to the world! To all animals and mankind.


Vocabulary:
preacher -- (n)[C] a person, usually a priest, who gives a religious speech
prophet -- (n)[C] a person who supports a new system of beliefs and principles:
suffocate -- (vb)[I or T] to ( cause someone to) die because they do not have enough oxygen:
stitch -- (vb) [I or T] to sew two things together, or to repair something by sewing:
chaos -- (n) [U] a state of total confusion with no order:
commotion -- (n) [S or U] a sudden short period of noise, confusion, or excited movement:


Resources:
International Day of Peace @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Day_of_Peace

World Habitat Day @ United Nations
http://www.un.org/en/events/habitatday/

Facebook page opposing country parks for flats gets almost 10,000 likes @ SCMP
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1316215/facebook-page-opposing-country-parks-flats-gets-almost-10000-likes

Brett Dennen @ Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Dennen

BRETT DENNEN LYRICS - Ain't No Reason @ AZLyrics
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/brettdennen/aintnoreason.html

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/preacher?q=preacher
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/prophet?q=prophet+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/suffocate_1?q=suffocate+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/stitch_3
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/chaos?q=chaos+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/commotion?q=commotion