A song for now

By Julie A. Ferraro | FāVS News Columnist

A common excuse through the centuries for the enduring cycle of wars and oppression in our world is the statement, “History repeats itself.”

Sad to say: it’s true. As many slogans as we have proliferated in recent decades about not allowing atrocities to happen again, or never forgetting the tragedies we’ve experienced, the senseless killing and violence continues — and we are left asking, “Where is God in all this?”

As an old movie buff, I recently chanced upon a quasi-comedy from 1985 titled “Water.” It was produced by former Beatle George Harrison’s Handmade Films and starred Michael Caine and Billy Connolly. There are plot points that run toward the silly, of course, it being reported at the time of its original release that it was meant as a parody of the invasions of Grenada and the Falkland Islands.

Nonetheless, the story speaks loudly to the state of the world today.

The fictional Caribbean island of Cascara is home to a population that arrived as immigrants — survivors of shipwrecks, mostly. Over time, they became a British colony and, in the course of the movie, attract the attention of an American corporation interested in securing rights to the island’s underground assets, along with other countries eager to have a share in the profits.

The political maneuvering sparks a revolution, with the rebels seeking aid from the United Nations to remove both the British and the Americans from their country. This plea takes the form of a reggae-style song written by Eric Clapton and Ian La Frenais, in which can be heard the cries of so many today:

You’ve invaded our homes and our privacy,

Taken everything except the sun and the sea.

We’ve come here to ask you most humbly

Please, won’t you grant us our liberty.

We want our freedom; give us our freedom.

We are very poor people, easily led,

Have to scratch with our hands, now, to keep our babies fed.

You bring in your soldiers, put a gun at our head,

The way things are going, we’d be better off dead.

We want our freedom; give us our freedom.

The lyrics continue the petition to the UN representatives, asking, “Give us tomorrow, and a future that’s free.” The last verse begins, “We are all different colors who stand here and sing, but the same heart is beating under the skin.”

Even in the movie’s storyline, the song would have gone mostly unnoticed by the officials, except that Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Eric Clapton and other prominent rock musicians of the day join together to play in support of the rebels’ effort.

Whether or not the full political impact of the song was intended by the composers, I personally can’t tell. The movie itself did not do well at the box office upon its release in theaters. The fact remains, however: There is a message here that we need to heed, if humanity is to have a viable future.

With the International Day of Peace recently observed on Sept. 21 with prayer services and public outcry against ongoing armed conflicts around the globe, isn’t it about time our thinking evolves from imposing antiquated viewpoints or greed on others and learning to respect the dignity and basic rights of all?

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus spoke up for those who were marginalized, oppressed in an era where Rome dominated most of the known world. He saw then what we still see now, and people still suffer because we haven’t learned from our mistakes.

History must stop being repeated.

The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News. FāVS News values diverse perspectives and thoughtful analysis on matters of faith and spirituality.

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