Brick by Brick

A new song, posted on national coming out day. I guess I'm coming out angry. And strategically hopeful.

This one's for haymarket, and occupy chicago, and all the people who represent the intimate connections between the two. Which is to say, the people who are building a better and transformed world, bit by bit. You know who you are.



brick by brick
intro: (chords in rise up singing style)
D G DD /G D A A / D D G D/ G D A A

i feel too tired, and i feel overwhelmed
can we make a plan here, or a vision for an end?
those of us who care for justice, those of us whose longing burns
what vision can we muster, can we make the future turn?

Chorus:
D D A A / G G D A/ G D A/ Em GAD

brick by brick, bone by bone
til the people have their justice and their bodies are their own
stick by stick, stone by stone
we are building all together, we are dreaming up a home

verses:
D D A D/ G D A / D D DAD/ G A Em/ Bm A D

if i want it tomorrow, then i might as well quit
but if i want it for my children i'll stay in
so together let us promise, and together let us build
brick by brick, bone by bone
stick by stick, stone by stone

CHORUS

the stones i lay today are rage and peace and hope
and tomorrow's might be songs or plans or tears
but if put down enough, with faithfulness and verve
then my people will have walls enough for home
then my people will have walls enough for home

so you'll build a bit tomorrow, and i'll pick it from there
and we'll have a new place to rest next week
and we'll break it down a lot, to move it or to fix it
but hey: if not now maybe next year
if not now maybe next year

chorus


oh, give us bricks that last, and give us bones that mend
and give us living wood to grow and bend
and when they try to stop us, we will break them down
brick by brick, bone by bone
stick by stick, stone by stone

our bricks will break their windows
and our bones will block their streets
and our sticks will pound on office doors and drums
and we'll take on every mountain of injustice and of greed
and wear it down to a stone
and wear it down to a stone

chorus

they will not believe our families
they will put our kids in jail
they will shut us up and crush us if they can
and you'll find our shelters simple, but you'll find them everywhere
and we'll see who really owns the land
and we'll see who really owns the land

we will build together in defiance and in hope
we will all pile on and show up
and slower than we'd like
but fast enough for us
we will build a new world stone by stone
we will build a new world stone by stone

chorus

we are not about to give up
and we're not about to break
but we'll bend and we'll ripple and we'll flow
and when the people ask us how we made the mountains move
(we'll say): brick by brick, bone by bone
stick by stick, stone by stone

chorus