(This lyric was penned after reading this story of the shooting death of orphaned Chicago teenager, Tierra Franklin)

——-

VERSION 2

You woke to the

Tierra headline

It sticks in your craw

You sip your

morning coffee

Then sweep the paper to the floor

–

It was just another day like any other

Except the names were changed and life went on

Never mind Tierra, we’ll add another

Another name, life and legacy gone

–

chorus

Because it’s easy to forget

When there’s no skin in the game

So far from the fire

So easy to blame

I’d do something now

But what can I do?

A world divided

Has broke us in two

So shout from the rooftops

Shoot arrows at the sun

Fill the streets at midnight

Help the hopeless people run

And say it’s time

And say it’s time

–

Tierra’s mama,

dead with cancer

Her dad was shot when she was five

She was gonna

be a lawyer

But a teen-gun took her life

–

Bridge-

She did not go gentle into that good night

But nor did she

Have the chance to fight

Tierra and a thousand others

deserve the voice

That you can give to stolen life

–

Chorus

Copyright: Rod de Lisle

————-

VERSION 1

You wake up to the headline

-Chorus-

It sticks in your craw

You slowly sip your morning coffee

Then sweep the paper to the floor

–

Tierra’s mama, dead with cancer

Her dad was shot when she was five

She was gonna be a lawyer

But a teen-gun took her life

-PC-

Rail against this senseless violence

When an orphaned daughter dies

Tierra now deserves a voice

That you can give her stolen life

–

-Chorus-

Shout from the rooftops

Shoot arrows at the sun

Fill the streets at midnight

Help the hopeless people run

Yeah, not you today,

But there’s a price to pay

Little pieces from your heart

Torch the sacred halls

Fan the justice fires you start

–

The gun was dropped, sirens howled

Some saw a shadow fleeing

Tierra was left, dead on the ground

eyes still open but unseeing

–

Don’t cry, take a stand

Silent weeps won’t silence guns

As a orphaned daughter dies

Her story not begun

–

SCREAM from the rooftops

Shoot arrows at the sun

Fill the streets at midnight

Help the hopeless people run

Yeah, not you today,

but there’s a price to pay

Little pieces of your heart

SCREAM from the rooftops

Fan the justice fires you start

–

-Bridge-

No more guns

No more guns

No more guns

No more.

Guns

–

Is there ever an easy choice?

Can words beat gun or knife?

Tierra now, deserves a voice

That you can give her stolen life

Copyright: Rod de Lisle

Copyright Rod de Lisle 2022