First Line:
Sit with me birdie, in the tall tree
Artist & Tune
Composed by:
About the Song
"Written in response to ongoing, violent displays of white supremacy across the United States, this song asks how we can go on... singing, making things, making art & truly listening to each other. "
It was written soon after the tragic events of August, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The artwork & animatics of the first video above are by Eloise Phillips.
Sit with me birdie, in the tall tree
The news is bad and there's no relief
How do you fly to the enemy,
And sing your song so tenderly?
Ooh, these days of war
When I fly to the enemy
The fear is high 'cause you don't agree
And tempers flare, yeah the cry is war
No one listens anymore
Ooh, in these days, in these days
Ooh, these days of war
Little bird, do you fly in fear
Up & away from the hatred here?
Do you see our meeting ground
Between our camps where you touch down?
Oh, yes sometimes I fly in fear
And I sing so softly so you cannot hear,
But I sometimes see your meeting ground
Beneath the smoke and the battle sounds
Ooh, these days of war
These days of war
Oh little bird why do you fly away
And leave me alone in this silent day?
And how do you sing in these days of war
Where no one listens anymore?
Well I fly because I must carry on
To love, to feed, to make my home
And I sing to know that love is near
Because anger holds the hand of fear
Yeah, I sing to know that love is near
Because anger holds the hand of fear
I sing to know that love is near
Oh, courage take the hand of fear!
In these days of war
These days, in these days of war
These days, in these days of war
In these days of war
- lyrics by Moira Smiley & Seamus Egan
(c) Moira Smiley Music, ASCAP and Seamus Egan Music, BMI. All rights reserved.
Sheet-music is available at www.moirasmiley.com.
The song was recorded on the 2021 "In Our Voices" album. The .mp3 file is available at https://moirasmiley.bandcamp.com/track/days-of-war
It was written soon after the tragic events of August, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The artwork & animatics of the first video above are by Eloise Phillips.
Sit with me birdie, in the tall tree
The news is bad and there's no relief
How do you fly to the enemy,
And sing your song so tenderly?
Ooh, these days of war
When I fly to the enemy
The fear is high 'cause you don't agree
And tempers flare, yeah the cry is war
No one listens anymore
Ooh, in these days, in these days
Ooh, these days of war
Little bird, do you fly in fear
Up & away from the hatred here?
Do you see our meeting ground
Between our camps where you touch down?
Oh, yes sometimes I fly in fear
And I sing so softly so you cannot hear,
But I sometimes see your meeting ground
Beneath the smoke and the battle sounds
Ooh, these days of war
These days of war
Oh little bird why do you fly away
And leave me alone in this silent day?
And how do you sing in these days of war
Where no one listens anymore?
Well I fly because I must carry on
To love, to feed, to make my home
And I sing to know that love is near
Because anger holds the hand of fear
Yeah, I sing to know that love is near
Because anger holds the hand of fear
I sing to know that love is near
Oh, courage take the hand of fear!
In these days of war
These days, in these days of war
These days, in these days of war
In these days of war
- lyrics by Moira Smiley & Seamus Egan
(c) Moira Smiley Music, ASCAP and Seamus Egan Music, BMI. All rights reserved.
Sheet-music is available at www.moirasmiley.com.
The song was recorded on the 2021 "In Our Voices" album. The .mp3 file is available at https://moirasmiley.bandcamp.com/track/days-of-war