I first wrote these lyrics back in May of 2009 ... A year & a half later - guess who showed up ... Please take a moment to pray for all our sisters & brothers fighting for Freedom / Equality / Peace / Justice all over the Arab World ... Collectively they form our long-awaited "Superhero".
Lyrics:
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
While some men sank in trepidation
& banked on medication
from anxt of separation
this talib got by
& advanced through dedication
enhanced by preparation
& chants of meditation
his cognizance high
the mantra was fly
like bombs in the sky
a constant surprise
this impossible rise
through the ranks
steady walkin the planks
throwing rocks at the tanks
on the blocks of an occupied
middle east bereft
not an olive tree left
seein theft in the keys
to the lock he'd kept
steep steps
on the stairway to peace
he slipped
petroleum made these trips
that much slicker
billy crystalized a citylight's flicker
silly pistols fire a streetfight triggered
other men to fall off their grandstands
still he held his ground like a handstand (damn!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
Amidst military coups
and the critics of his literary views
he's pitted
wary - given very few
alternatives to violence
and yet & still he carries on through
scary obstacles contrary to...
popular belief
he can keep a cool head amongst
grief-stricken war-torn Middle East streets
sticking by the weak mothers of the bleak
futureless populace
confident he speaks (truth)
through the cracked concrete
of urban eruptions
proving that policies of
curbing corruption
further the function
of justice & earning the trust
of a people who've all been flustered
& cant move forward
but still make babies as though its all good
runnin around barefoot - cant afford sandals
huddlin by candles to pray
hey its nothing that a 3arab Superman cant handle
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
Like a couple bedoin homes I'm too tense/tents
Writin up some relevant songs - I do vent
Waxin poetic on the fact that pathetic
leaders act sympathetic
when we know they ain't sent not
one cent or qirsh of aid to refugees
pot belly kirsh they lay in SUVs
not really skilled - who braves the mess you leave?
what must we say to passover these
developmental disasters are lyin ahead
livin in denial like Egyptian Pyramids
comin to a point where the bubble's gonna burst
& desalinized water will no longer quench our thirst
we need a glass half-full for the youth - shine
an optimistic outlook from the roofline
like bat signals - till the criminals fade away
(hey!) here he comes to save the day …
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3ish Super-Peace!!!
Lyrics:
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
While some men sank in trepidation
& banked on medication
from anxt of separation
this talib got by
& advanced through dedication
enhanced by preparation
& chants of meditation
his cognizance high
the mantra was fly
like bombs in the sky
a constant surprise
this impossible rise
through the ranks
steady walkin the planks
throwing rocks at the tanks
on the blocks of an occupied
middle east bereft
not an olive tree left
seein theft in the keys
to the lock he'd kept
steep steps
on the stairway to peace
he slipped
petroleum made these trips
that much slicker
billy crystalized a citylight's flicker
silly pistols fire a streetfight triggered
other men to fall off their grandstands
still he held his ground like a handstand (damn!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
Amidst military coups
and the critics of his literary views
he's pitted
wary - given very few
alternatives to violence
and yet & still he carries on through
scary obstacles contrary to...
popular belief
he can keep a cool head amongst
grief-stricken war-torn Middle East streets
sticking by the weak mothers of the bleak
futureless populace
confident he speaks (truth)
through the cracked concrete
of urban eruptions
proving that policies of
curbing corruption
further the function
of justice & earning the trust
of a people who've all been flustered
& cant move forward
but still make babies as though its all good
runnin around barefoot - cant afford sandals
huddlin by candles to pray
hey its nothing that a 3arab Superman cant handle
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero & He Came to Bring Change
Unite The Divided & Free 'Em From The Chains
Of The Tyrants Who Reign in Vain & Pain
(Hey!)
Look Up In The Sky - Its A Bird - Its A Plane
Its An Arab Superhero - Yeah I know It Sounds Strange
But The Only Thing Keeping Us From Going Insane...
Is Knowing He'll Be Back Again (InshAllah)
Like a couple bedoin homes I'm too tense/tents
Writin up some relevant songs - I do vent
Waxin poetic on the fact that pathetic
leaders act sympathetic
when we know they ain't sent not
one cent or qirsh of aid to refugees
pot belly kirsh they lay in SUVs
not really skilled - who braves the mess you leave?
what must we say to passover these
developmental disasters are lyin ahead
livin in denial like Egyptian Pyramids
comin to a point where the bubble's gonna burst
& desalinized water will no longer quench our thirst
we need a glass half-full for the youth - shine
an optimistic outlook from the roofline
like bat signals - till the criminals fade away
(hey!) here he comes to save the day …
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3ish Super-Peace!!!
Like it, I think of Al-Mahdi. May God Hasten his return. It will happen when the last domino Saudi falls. :)
ReplyDeleteWe have to help ourselves first in-order to warrant Divine intervention.
This is so tite! PROPS
ReplyDeletebrilliant and eloquent, as usual coming from you. *cheers*
ReplyDeletedrop me a message if you get a chance, i have some linguistics questions i'd like to throw your way if you have a moment?
Inshallah the likes of Omar El Mukhtar will be back again <3 :)
ReplyDeleteyou played last night here at oberlin and I am sorry your words fell on so many deaf ears. It must be hard to believe so strongly and to surround yourself by people who believe in so little. Why do you keep on fighting, omar? I have stood with my fingers in the fences of Palestine and I have seen the Israelis throwing garbage from their second floor heavens into the streets... What makes you keep trying, because you have to? I have given up on so many things so many times because the answer is always the same. People will only do what's best for themselves, there is no thing big enough to change human nature...
ReplyDeleteBut I want to believe elsewise. Thank you for coming, it helped and I hope I don't forget your message to better remember my own hunger. shokran,raghav
My favorite verse has got to be:
ReplyDelete"Amidst military coups
and the critics of his literary views
he's pitted
wary - given very few
alternatives to violence
and yet & still he carries on through"
That's incredibly true, and touches on a serious dilemma in the Arabic world. I like how in very short sentences you were able to hint to lack of freedom of expression, and point out the reason why 'violence' sometimes becomes the only option -- or at least, that's how I read it.
Great words, overall.
Yep, here we came to save the day - inshallah.