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Guilty As Charged

by Brendan Shoreland

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This is an epically delayed response to the Live Aid concert in July 1985.

I wrote the song in 1993. It may be old, but I think it is still unfortunately relevant. Today, we grow enough food to feed EVERYONE on the planet. Some people, for political or avaricious reasons, choose not to.

lyrics

A small boy gazed at me, from the other side of my TV screen.
Beneath his feet sun baked blistering dust; above him, a cruel blue sky.
The narrator said that he was starving and might not survive the night.
I wondered how it felt to have flies crawl across my lips and eyes.

Chorus
I should have had a strong desire to reach into my pocket,
but the young boy seemed so hopeless; I was so far away.
I didn’t have any desire to interfere in his fate.
If that makes me cold and heartless then I’m guilty as charged.

All I could see in the little boy’s eyes was a dignified acceptance.
Death was close and all around; he heard and felt its call.
The narrator said that I should feel responsible for keeping him alive,
but the task seemed too enormous for my simple, modest life.

Chorus

The next day I discovered that the little boy had died.
I wished his soul good fortune in its journey along the way.
The narrator said that it’s important to support such a worthwhile cause.
I switched off my TV and got on with the rest of my day.

Chorus

credits

released May 1, 2021
Written, performed, recorded and mixed by David Walton.

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all rights reserved

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Brendan Shoreland Plymouth, UK

Creativity arises at the confluence of experience and personality. I have always hoped that my songs can help people who are stuck ... like I was. People who are lost ... like I was. I understand music to be something that gets beneath the surface and speaks of clarity and authenticity. With the lyrics, I look for metaphors and parables that chime and occasionally gently nudge. I hope you enjoy. ... more

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