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Forced March II

from Ota Benga by The May Day Orchestra

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lyrics

(Ota an orphan bought at the slave market
from one hell to another
dreams of the horror a great carnivore
a great crocodile to devour the world)

that river so big marches on to the sea...
this place is haunted by the ghosts
of all who had been enslaved
a population gone to die or to run
gone from slavery to genocide
through the forest a railway runs built of blood and of bones
a monstrous assembly line ignoring the victims' cries
Stanley led the way and he raped the land
it's a gold rush for Leopold to plunder
all the slavers and the cannibals
have turned agents of the state
severed hands are the devil's playthings...
only the ghosts are left here and the army of orphans

William Sheppard sees the horror tells of the living nightmare
sees the people disappearing tells of the butcher's harvest
tells Morel and Casement to watch the merchant ships
see what comes and goes and then go tell the world
using telegraph wires covered in black gold
chiefs and kings will always profit from the trade
you saw and now you know
you will reap just what you sow
the one who stands to gain the most
was already wearing a crown

Leopold sits on a throne a greedy man with a map in his hand
first thing is first that devil will lie fat as a vulture too heavy to fly
the king will always say that he is benign
under the cover of millionaires
who will tell the people just what to think
the state will always say that it is doing good
and the real devils have not ever
not ever set foot in hell

(a pirate fleet escapes to the sea
with a stolen treasure on a sinking ship
slaves chained by the neck
when one falls down the whole line goes)

credits

from Ota Benga, released November 9, 2010

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The May Day Orchestra St. Louis, Missouri

The May Day Orchestra was founded in 2008 by songwriter Tim Rakel. The current line-up features drummer Mary DeLeonardis, bassist Jake DeLeonardis and guitarist Charlie Tabing. The band is currently releasing installments of their fourth album.

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