I was born in 1899, December thirty first
On the eve of progress for better or for worse
The promise of the open west with land and work for all
Was cause for celebration at the turning century ball
They did not know the future, but at least they knew their past
Gathered with their loved ones and they tried to make the best
Called out for the music and danced until the dawn
Prayed for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
By the time that I was 20 the Great War had come and gone
In it's wake the tragedy of melodies unsung
But leading through the darkness was a mother in her prime
Casting her own vote for peace for the first time
We worried through the 30s, our humour often grim
The prairie never seems so wide 'til prospects look so slim
Then in '47 at Leduc they struck black gold
We went from rags to riches before WWII was cold
We did not know the future, but at least we knew our past...
From the shores of Vietnam or from the farms of the Ukraine
Fleeing war and famine with nothing but their names
To this day there's many coming here just to survive
Still they try to keep their language and their faith alive
While those who've always been here have slowly pushed aside
Land and rights submerged beneath an overwhelming tide
But it's not some long gone fairy tale, how the west was won
Until we face the truth of it our healing can't be done
We cannot seek a future until we know our past...
Now some of us have plenty and some of us have peace
But most of us are struggling for a little bit of each
So come and take my hand and we'll dance until the dawn
And work for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
We cannot seek a future until we know our past...
Work for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
On the eve of progress for better or for worse
The promise of the open west with land and work for all
Was cause for celebration at the turning century ball
They did not know the future, but at least they knew their past
Gathered with their loved ones and they tried to make the best
Called out for the music and danced until the dawn
Prayed for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
By the time that I was 20 the Great War had come and gone
In it's wake the tragedy of melodies unsung
But leading through the darkness was a mother in her prime
Casting her own vote for peace for the first time
We worried through the 30s, our humour often grim
The prairie never seems so wide 'til prospects look so slim
Then in '47 at Leduc they struck black gold
We went from rags to riches before WWII was cold
We did not know the future, but at least we knew our past...
From the shores of Vietnam or from the farms of the Ukraine
Fleeing war and famine with nothing but their names
To this day there's many coming here just to survive
Still they try to keep their language and their faith alive
While those who've always been here have slowly pushed aside
Land and rights submerged beneath an overwhelming tide
But it's not some long gone fairy tale, how the west was won
Until we face the truth of it our healing can't be done
We cannot seek a future until we know our past...
Now some of us have plenty and some of us have peace
But most of us are struggling for a little bit of each
So come and take my hand and we'll dance until the dawn
And work for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
We cannot seek a future until we know our past...
Work for peace and plenty in the new day coming on
Contributed by daniela -k.d.- - 2009/4/6 - 14:57
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Testo e musica di Maria Dunn e Shannon Johnson
Lyrics and music by Maria Dunn and Shannon Johnson
Album: "We Were Good People"
(Maria Dunn)