From the recording Black Legacy
On 28 August 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his legendary speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington in which he stated that irrespective of colour, creed or ethnicity every human being is created equal. This oration became known as the, “I have a dream” speech and sadly nearly sixty years later in many respects it has remained precisely that, a dream. It is this fact that led to the emergence of the “Black Lives Matter” movement in 2013 and the repeat of the March on Washington in 2020.
Obviously, “Black Lives Matter” is primarily a socio-political statement, but nonetheless it can also be interpreted as possessing other connotations that relate to the contributions of gifted persons of colour to virtually every area of cultural life, whether this be art, cinema, dance, literature, theatre or verse, as exemplified to perfection by Amanda Gorman’s stunning poem “The Hill We Climb”.
However, there can be no doubt that above all black artists have given most to the musical world and it is also no exaggeration to say that without them music as we know it today would not exist. Therefore, with “Black Legacy”, we as “The Raw-Cats” have sought to pay a modest tribute, not only to the iconic figures mentioned in the lyrics, but also the many thousands of other black musicians both legendary or forgotten. For irrespective of their degree of fame, their lives possess equal value and along with those of every child on this planet, deserve the respect of us all.
Lyrics
You ask me, “Do black lives matter?”
Well, its obvious you’ve never listened to
Count Basie swing,
Billy Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”,
Or riffs on Lucille from BB King.
And you, you wonder why “black lives matter?”
That’s because you’ve never heard
Otis on the dock of the bay
Fats Waller’s witty piano,
Or “What’s going on?” from Marvin Gaye,
And you, you don’t think that “black lives matter?”
Then you’ve never listened to
Ella and Louis singing scat,
Cab Calloway and his moocher
Or a blue note from Miles, the coolest of cats.
And you, you doubt that “black lives matter.”
Well, it’s clear you’ve never heard
Jimi’s magic guitar,
Aretha demanding respect,
Or Jack Dupree struttin’ eight to the bar.
Yes, black lives matter
And music is our legacy
So yes, black lives matter
Like those of every child
And the whole of humanity.
You ask me, “Do black lives matter?”
Well, its obvious you’ve never listened to
The Bird take wing,
The Wolf when he was howlin’,
Or the belief when Mahalia sings.
And you, you wonder why “black lives matter.”
That’s because you’ve never heard
Little Richard explode,
Thrilled to Michael Jackson,
Or met Robert Johnson down at the crossroads.
And you, you don’t think that “black lives matter?”
Then you’ve never listened to
Muddy Waters’ rollin’ stone,
Sam Cooke twistin’ the night away,
Or the passionate voice of Nina Simone.
And you, you doubt that “black lives matter.”
Well, it’s clear you’ve never heard
Prince in the purple rain,
Duckwalked with Chuck Berry,
Or taken a ride on the Duke’s A-train.
Yes, black lives matter
And music is our legacy
So yes, black lives matter
Like those of every child
And the whole of humanity.
And never forget Lester Young, Sarah Vaughan, Charlie Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Bob Marley, Bessie Smith, Fats Domino, Lena Horne, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Chick Webb, Miriam Makeba, Nat King Cole, ….
Yes, black lives matter
And music is our legacy
So yes, black lives matter
Like those of every child
And the whole of humanity.