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  1. Innocent

Many of us have grown up hearing laments about innocent lives lost. That lament struck me yet again recently when I was listening to the news on the radio.

My father once told me that we couldn't expect life to always be fair. Maybe your parents told you that, too. And yet, I still hope that we can curb the extent to which innocent lives are lost. That is what "Innocent" is about.

For this song, and many others, I owe special thanks to my long-time friend Tony Chursky. Tony's insights into lyrics make my songs better. "Innocent" is a good example.

Lyrics

Innocent

There’s a man standing waiting for the bus
The sort of thing we all might do
It could be any one of us
In many ways he’s just like me and you

But the color of his skin makes him vulnerable
As if he posed some kind of threat
So he’s pinned down for his final breath
And yet

He’s innocent, he’s innocent

There’s a woman buying groceries for her family
For the meals when they’re together for a while
We can see ourselves doing that easily
A daily scene capturing a smile

How was she to know that she was vulnerable
To a madman armed with no regret?
Now she’s in a place where thoughts and prayers aren’t enough
And yet

She’s innocent, she’s innocent

There are children who want to go to school
And live in peace with their family
They don’t understand about the rules
That make this an impossibility

The place where they were born makes them vulnerable
To being caged up like some lost pet
Or drowning in a ruthless sea
And yet

They’re innocent, they’re innocent

Sometimes I wonder how we’re capable
Of letting human life be torn away
And still I wonder if it’s possible
To stand together and say

They’re innocent

For the children of our children and further down the line
Can any promises be met?
Or will we leave them with nothing and say everything will be fine
And yet

They’re innocent, they’re innocent

© Gary Poole 2021