About
Lyrics : Mark Jansen
Music : Isaac Delahaye, Mark Jansen, Coen Janssen, Ariën van Weesenbeek
Versions
Album Version (05:03) – Design Your Universe album, Martyr of the Free Word 7″ picture disc, Best Of album
Acoustic Version (03:56) – Design Your Universe Gold Edition album, The Acoustic Universe EP
Live at the Klokgebouw 2013 (06:25) – Retrospect album
Lyrics
Speaking interpretation
A conversation can take a sudden turn
And reaching the point of violence
Because your silence left you without a hand to hold
Your past will lead you on to…
Making a final judgement
Based on your bias will never bring you forward
Terror should never guide you
For even the fearful can take a beating in the end
Suspicion gets you nowhere
Those who denounce a way of life
Will stand alone left to atone their social blunders
If you gun down the messenger
You guarantee that he will be made into a saint
A martyr of the free word
I will say
I will say what I think
I will do
I will do what I say
When liberty seems out of reach
We’ll fight for our freedom of speech
Requiem aeternam dona eis
Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis
Missing a simple context
A mental weakness can throw you out of balance
Listen, respect each other
Then you’ll discover, it mustn’t always end in hate
It’s not too late for mercy
Those who denounce a way of life will stand alone
Left to atone their social blunders
If you gun down the messenger
You guarantee that he will be made into a saint
A martyr of the free word
I will say
I will say what I think
I will do
I will do what I say
When tolerance seems out of sight
We will fight
When liberty seems out of reach
We’ll fight for our freedom of speech
Translation
Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine Et lux perpetua luceat eis |
Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord And let perpetual light shine upon them |
(translation : source)
Trivia
- The part in Latin is from The Roman Rite liturgy.