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The Fool (for Victor Jara)

The John Reynolds
Language: English



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(Sergio Ortega)
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2018
The Fool
fool

This song is dedicated to the life and work of Victor Jara and to all those countless others lost to Pinochet.

Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez was a Chilean teacher, theater director, poet, singer-songwriter, political activist and the voice of his country's dispossessed.
On September 11, 1973, Chilean troops under the command of General Augusto Pinochet mounted a coup against the Allende government. Among many others Jara was seized and taken to the Estadio Chile, a large sports stadium. There he was held for four days, deprived of food and sleep. He was tortured, and his hands were broken by soldiers who told him to try to keep on playing the guitar with his damaged hands. But Jara continued to sing "Venceremos" and began writing a new song describing the carnage going on in the stadium, as many of those imprisoned were killed; the words of the new song were smuggled out by a prisoner who survived. On September 15, Jara was taken to a deserted area and shot
He was 41 years old.
The fool said, I sing to the forests
The fool said, I sing to the trees
The fool said, I sing to the oceans
The fool said, I sing to the sea

The fool sang of social injustice
The fool sang of the poor -
And the hungry and the wronged
The govenment said, We will kill you
If you dont stop singing these songs

So they beat the fool
Broke him on the wheel
And the torturer said
Tell me how does it feel

And the fool said, look out at the people
Singing outside the palace door
And the fool said, listen to them singing
Now that the fool can sing no more

Contributed by Dq82 - 2020/3/25 - 16:17




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