Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Ashes & Dust


To listen to Ashes & Dust, click here





Hey lady see the lightning flash, hear the thunder roar
The air raid siren’s going off, this means the start of war
Time is very short now lady till this place goes bust
Till ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

See the bombed-out buildings lady, see the burned-out cars
Everything’s in ruins lady, everybody’s scarred
All our dreams are spoiled, all our hopes lie crushed
Where ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

There’s no rainbow this time my love, no raven, no dove 
The man who’s come to sail this ark is wearing iron gloves 
As the storm clouds gather overhead the wind begins to gust 
And ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

Isaiah’s at the roadside calling “This way to the floods”
His lips are sered with burning coals, his hands are caked with blood
But the tablets have been broken, all prophecies are hushed
Where ashes become ashes and dust returns to dust

There’s graffiti on the billboard along Cathedral Way
It says “In God we always trust; the rest of you can pay”
While the drunkards in the graveyards go on singing out their lust
And ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

All the hearts are broken, you see hearts are not that tough 
You can even break a diamond if your blade is sharp enough
But my love for you is made of steel and it will never rust
Though ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

Take my hand and walk with me, beware the roads are mined
They’re saying what’s just started may go on a long long time
Put your arm around me, place in me your trust
Before ashes become ashes and the dust returns to dust

May your God give you His blessing, whoever your God may be
May your children bring you happiness, may you live when men are free
May you occupy this universe when the laws men make are just
May your ashes become ashes, may your dust return to dust




 The apocalyptic vision was a consequence of watching too many news broadcasts, and teaching a course of modern Jewish history which took me through pogroms and the Holocaust to my own memories of the Yom Kippur and Peace for Galille wars in Israel. By the most bizarre coincidence, I finished the song, and wrote it up on my diary, on September 10th 2001. I was on the golf course when, the following day, Apocalypse Airlines Flights 11 and 175 crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York.



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Copyright © 2015 David Prashker
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The Argaman Press



If you would like to include "Ashes & Dust" in your repertoire, either for paid public performance or to record for commercial purposes, or if you would like to re-use the recordings attached to this blog-page for commercial purposes, contact argaman@theargamanpress.com. 
Use of this song, and/or these recordings, for non-commercial purposes, is not simply permitted but invited.