Ashes for Animals
Eva Hamer
Am G
In the coughing crowds of cages, under lights that won’t turn off
Em7 Am
Straining eyes from bright and violence
Fmaj7 Em7
Craving sleep, just simple peace
Am
You were thin by the glow of my headlamp
G
Little bugs crawled on your skin
Em7 Am
No place to hide or to run to
Fmaj7 Em7
As us strangers filed in
Am G
After months and days of living angry hands grabbed you like air
Em7 Am Fmaj7 G
Did you fight against the fated, did you still care?
Am
An orphan who birthed seven orphans
G
You were lonely from your start
Em7 Am Fmaj7 Am
No surprise at being left behind In the dark
C Am Dm7 C
You had so much love for your children, where did it go when you died?
Fmaj7 C Fmaj7 Am7 Fmaj7 Em7
Send it through me and I won’t sleep until they’re free
C Am Dm7 C
I will pass on to all your babies the truth of why you’re gone
Fmaj7 C Fmaj7Am7 Fmaj7 E7
You would have carried them out, too, if you could move
C Am
For those who died at the altar of profit
Dm7 G
For people mistaken for things
C Am
For each animal killed as a baby
Dm7 G
For each angel robbed of her wings
C Am
For those who died without faith in a rescue
Dm7 G
Never knew pleasure or love
F G Am
I’ll sing a song, lay down a rose, and mark a grave
F G Am
I’ll speak the truth, I’ll fight for you, till there’s a change
C Em7
It starts with a funeral, say a word for the fallen
Am7 G7
Tell the stories of who they were. Promise they’re not forgotten
Then make solid memorials out of yesterday’s kill floors
As we promise to do our best and we’ll learn to do better
Oh it starts with a funeral, let’s bring it straight to congress
Till the world feels the mourning for everyone we have lost
C Am Dm7 C
If you forgave all the crimes of my people, you’d be kinder than all us combined
Fmaj7 C Fmaj7 Am7 Fmaj7 E7
What would it take for us to make it alright?
C Am Dm7 C
Something ten thousand years in the making comes quicker on the way down
Fmaj7 C Fmaj7 Am7 Fmaj7 E7
However long, however hard this is our fight
C Am
For those who died at the altar of profit
Dm7 G
For people mistaken for things
C Am
For each animal killed as a baby
Dm7 G
For each angel robbed of her wings
C Am
For those who died without faith in a rescue
Dm7 G
Never knew pleasure or love
F G Am
I’ll sing a song, lay down a rose, and mark a grave
F G Am
I’ll speak the truth, I’ll fight for you, till there’s a change
Am G
As your ashes spread around us, may they touch the furthest heart.
Em7 Am Fmaj7 Em7
May the loss of who we mourn here be the revolution’s start
Am G
Let your children’s tears be echoed from the walls of city halls
Em7 Am Fmaj7 Am
make the hardest souls be softened by our call
Am G
From the ashes of your body, may the revolution rise
Em7 Am Fmaj7 Em7
From the tears of when we lost you, may we wake with fresher eyes
Am G
Let the people hear your singing and the guard dogs take our side
Em7 Am Fmaj7 Am
Let the love we owe your children be our guide
In the coughing crowds of cages, under lights that won’t turn off
Straining eyes from bright and violence
Craving sleep, just simple peace
You were thin by the glow of my headlamp
Little bugs crawled on your skin
No place to hide or to run to
As us strangers filed in
After months and days of living angry hands grabbed you like air
Did you fight against the fated, did you still care?
An orphan who birthed seven orphans
You were lonely from your start
No surprise at being left behind In the dark
You had so much love for your children, where did it go when you died?
Send it through me and I won’t sleep until they’re free
I will pass on to all your babies the truth of why you’re gone
You would have carried them out, too, if you could move
CHORUS
For those who died at the altar of profit
For people mistaken for things
For each animal killed as a baby
For each angel robbed of her wings
For those who died without faith in a rescue
Never knew pleasure or love
I’ll sing a song, lay down a rose, and mark a grave
I’ll speak the truth, I’ll fight for you, till there’s a change
It starts with a funeral, say a word for the fallen
Tell the stories of who they were. Promise they’re not forgotten
Then make solid memorials out of yesterday’s kill floors
As we promise to do our best and we’ll learn to do better
Oh it starts with a funeral, let’s bring it straight to congress
Till the world feels the mourning for everyone we have lost
If you forgave all the crimes of my people, you’d be kinder than all us combined
What would it take for us to make it alright?
Something ten thousand years in the making comes quicker on the way down
However long, however hard this is our fight
CHORUS
As your ashes spread around us, may they touch the furthest heart.
May the loss of who we mourn here be the revolution’s start
Let your children’s tears be echoed from the walls of city halls
make the hardest souls be softened by our call
From the ashes of your body, may the revolution rise
From the tears of when we lost you, may we wake with fresher eyes
Let the people hear your singing and the guard dogs take our side
Let the love we owe your children be our guide