Mokai releases anti-war, anti-authoritarian songs

World Without War

The guitar is like a reservoir where I can always go for strength. There's just something hopeful about a G chord. I got myself out of a major depression writing this song.

One of my stronger childhood memories of the anti-war movement was the music: the pulsing strummed guitars, the passionate voices raised in harmony–the whole "Up With People" togetherness of it all.

It's all here in this song.

Lyrics

Raise your voice against the silence,
If only to hear your own cry;
Don’t support the violence
That perpetuates a lie.
Paint your colors on the darkness,
No matter what the risk;
Light a candle in the tempest
To show you exist.

Because if you’d only sing your song
Louder than before,
We can make a world without war.

You can’t count the dead;
You can’t count the tears
Or all the blood that’s been shed
Throughout the years;
You can’t justify the carnage,
Can’t justify the pain;
In every conflict through the ages
They all have died in vain.

But if you’d only sing your song
Louder than be fore,
We can make a world without war.

Live your fullest in this moment,
As you plant your seeds;
Don’t be scared by the tyrants
Who want to control your needs.
Help somebody with their burden,
Let them share your load,
Because we are all on one journey,
we are all on one road.

So if you’d only sing your song
Louder than ever before,
We can make a world without war.

Living In Democracy

mp3
I imagine some bedraggled folk troubadour wandering through the post-apocalyptic landscape, telling the skeptical locals of a strange land where everyone is happy and well fed, and where "War Is Peace" and "Ignorance Is Strength."

Lyrics

If you care to listen to my song,
Listen to my song, if you care,
I will promise I won’t take long
I won’t take long, do you care?

I will try not to deceive,
Not to deceive, if you care,
But I know you won’t believe,
You won’t believe, do you care?

Many oceans I have sailed;
Many mountains I have scaled,
But the strangest place I’ve been is
Called democracy

Democracy is a lovely city,
A lovely city, if you care,
Where everything is very pretty,
Very pretty, do you care?

And there’s nothing to be scared of,
To be scared of, if you care,
’cause everything’s been taken care of,
Taken care of, do you care?

And everyone stands tall and proud,
Because thinking’s not allowed;
That’s the way that they live
In democracy.

In democracy they work all day,
They work all day, if you care.
Then they all give back their pay,
Give back their pay, do you care?

It’s all about the latest toys,
The latest toys, if you care,
And whoever makes the most noise,
The most noise, do you care?

And if you don’t agree,
They’ve a way to make you see
That the only way to live is
In democracy.

In democracy they all want it now,
They all want it now, if you care,
And if they can they’ll get it somehow,
Get it somehow, do you care?

And their needs to fulfill,
To fulfill, if you care,
They’ll do anything, even kill,
Even kill, do you care?

So beware and take warning,
Or you might awake one morning
To discover that you’re living
In democracy.

Bottom Line

mp3
This is what it's really all about, the bottom line. Obviously I think politics has a place in music; the most powerful music is about powerful subjects–and injustice and oppression are powerful subjects.

If average citizens would insist on their bottom line in the way that corporate lobbyists insist on theirs, society and government would look very different. Our bottom line–clean air and water, and opportunity for future generations–are the real bottom line, as opposed to the corporate bottom line drenched in red ink in blood.

Lyrics

Your Bottom Line,
Don’t give me your
Bottom Line.
It don’t add up the same as mine.

The power of your institution
Means nothing to me.
You can keep all your money
I just want to live free.

You’d kill your mother for a coin;
We’d give our lives in her defense.
You ask me to die for your profits;
That doesn’t make sense.

Your computers are working day and night.
Your calculator spits out a number;
you send your armies to fight.

There’s nothing more precious than this life we’ve got:
Sun and Moon, Forest and Sea.
Come on people, ready or not
Open your eyes and see.

Bottom Line
Don’t give me your
Bottom Line.
It don’t add up the same as mine.