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lyrics

Black Carrie
© Penelope Swales 1993

When I first met Black Carrie
I met her in passing, here and there
And one day she turned and spoke to me
With words that cut the air

Her clothing was silk and purple
And bought at a market stall
And she sparkled at me darkly
Small and ample
Her eyes were black and bright
Like a swallow
Ohh…

She said to me “I mourn every day
Everywhere I go, in every way
Everything I see speaks to me
Of struggling and dying, silently

And I mourn for the trees and for the sky
I mourn for remnant grasslands and oceans wide
I mourn because I fear I won’t survive
And I mourn because I love my life

I go along to these demonstrations
Where the issue is frustrated and is lost
By revolution-heads with chips on their shoulders
And media vultures
Too busy counting confrontation to count the cost

And I mourn for the potential of the cause
To reunite us and set us back on course
I mourn for all of those who might have joined us
If only they hadn’t thought
That protesting was violent

When I’m alone I hear the earth crying
I hear it in my belly, deep and sore
And that’s why I’ll avoid going up country sometimes
Coz every time I go I hear it more

And the cacophony of buses and of streets
Deafens my ears to the keening and the pleas
My senses are dulled by subtle poisons,
In the subway, I’m not aware that I’m underground
Coz there is no ground to see

And every weed speaks out its life to me
Every seagull’s sacred and profane
Each Styrofoam container a blasphemy
And sparrows, although feral, remind me

That sparrows are
And sparrows are not to blame for what they are
And we’re like sparrows
But sparrows are not to blame for what we are

And I know that hope is crucial
But hope sometimes deals me a strange hand
So I must find this first rally in myself
Make this first most fundamental stand

So I smile for the springtime and the light
Smile for the sunshine stirring life
I try not to think too closely of the strife that’s pending
And I smile because I love my life

Mourn for the trees mourn for the sky
I mourn before the onslaught of poisonous sunlight
I mourn because this is the springtime of my life
And coz so much has already died
And I mourn because I love my life”

Black Carrie
Black Carrie loves her life
And I love Black Carrie
Oh, coz Black Carrie loves her life

Fight for the trees, fight for the sky
Fight for remnant grasslands and oceans wide
Fight coz if you don’t, we won’t survive
Fight, fight if you love
Your life, fight if you love
Your life.

credits

from Between Light and Dark, released September 11, 1993
Penelope Swales - vocals, mandolin
Ross Ryan - guitar
George Papantonio - drums
Holger Schnabel - bass
Enrie Gruner - violin

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all rights reserved

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about

Penelope Swales Boolarra, Australia

Penelope Swales has been articulating the human condition with passion and humour for 30+ years. She sings about politics, love, friendship, the unbreakable bond between us and dogs and the impact of the Internet on society. She won the 2019 Alistair Hulett Songs for Social Justice Award with “Cambridge Analytica”. “The Ides of March in Christchurch" was short-listed for the same award in 2020. ... more

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