The Wall (Chris Hutchings)
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- Editor: Chris Hutchings (submitted 2018-04-14). Score information: A4, 2 pages, 59 kB Copyright: CC BY NC
- Edition notes: In B minor. Range of lower part: low A# to middle A natural. Range of upper part: low B to upper D. If you need a transposed or bass clef score please contact the composer. This is released under Creative Commons Non-Commercial license.
General Information
Title: The Wall
Composer: Chris Hutchings
Lyricist: Chris Hutchings
Number of voices: 2vv Voicings: SA or TB, or mixed
Genre: Secular, Unknown
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 2017
Description: "The Wall" is a protest song about the refugee crisis.
Free under Creative Commons as part of #choirsagainstracism.
Please use this piece to raise funds or awareness for refugees or anti-racism causes.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
They crossed the borders to get here;
they crossed the lines they could not see;
They wanted all they could get here,
A job, a life, to just breathe free;
A wall, we said, a great big beautiful wall,
with cameras, concrete, steel and razor wire,
Will keep them out; we'll keep them out;
they won't get past our wall.
They crossed the ocean to get here,
they fled the bombs that we had sold;
Their craft was toss'd on the tempest,
A huddled mass packed in the hold;
Our laws, we said, our shifting, complex laws,
an order from the President himself, (OR: "a labyrinth of documents and words")
will keep them out; we'll keep them out;
they won't get past our laws.
They passed through horror to get here,
Fled dangers they could not ignore;
They saw our lights in the distance,
A lamp beside a golden door;
Our hearts, we said, our harden'd, thankless hearts,
with kindness and compassion hammer'd out of them,
Will keep them out; we'll keep them out;
they won't get to our hearts.
- Alternate lyrics are provided in bars 25-27 in case the ones given are not appropriate to your country. If you're in the USA, please use the upper lyrics if possible.