Burning Times

In the cool of the evening they used to gather
'Neath the stars in the meadow, circled near an old oak tree
At the times appointed by the seasons
Of the earth & the phases of the moon
Am - - - / G - Am - 

In the centre often stood a woman
Equal with the others, respected for her worth
One of the many we call the witches
The healers, the teachers of the wisdom of the earth

And the people grew in the knowledge she gave them
Herbs to heal their bodies, smells to make their spirits whole
Hear them chanting healing incantations
Calling for the wise ones, celebrating in dance & song

Isis, Astarte, Diana, Hecate, Demitra, Kali, Inana (repeat)

There were those who came to power through domination
They were bonded in their worship of a dead man on a cross
They sought control of the common people
By demanding allegiance to the Church of Rome

This song is about centuries of genocide against countless numbers of pagan mainly women healers in Europe. This still happens in some parts of the world. 

And the Pope he commenced the inquisition
'Twas a war against the women whose power they feared
In this holocaust, in this age of evil
Nine million European women they died

And the tale is told of those who by the hundreds
Holding hands together chose their deaths in the sea
While chanting the praises of the mother goddess
A refusal of betrayal, women were dying to be free

Isis, Astarte, Diana...

Now the earth is a witch and we still burn her
Stripping her down with mining and the poison of our wars
Still to us the earth is a healer, a teacher and a mother
A weaver of a web of light that keeps us all alive

She gives us the vision to see through the chaos
She gives us the courage it is our will to survive

words & music by Charlie Murphy
(c) Charlie Murphy (BMI). All rights reserved.