Union Songs

I Ain't Afraid

A song by Holly Near© 2000 by Hereford Music (ASCAP) All Rights Reserved

- [play]

Chorus
I ain't afraid of your Yahweh
I ain't afraid of your Allah
I ain't afraid of your Jesus
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god

I ain't afraid of your churches
I ain't afraid of your temples
I ain't afraid of your praying
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god

Verse
Rise up to your higher power
Free up from fear, it will devour you
Watch out for the ego of the hour
The ones who say they know it
Are the ones who will impose it on you

Chorus

Verse
Rise up, and see a higher story
Free up from the gods of war and glory
Watch out for the threats of purgatory
The spirit of the wind wont make a killing off of sin and satan

I aint afraid of your Bible
I aint afraid of your Torah
I aint afraid of your Koran
Dont let the letter of the law
Obscure the spirit of your love it's killing us

I aint afraid of your money
I aint afraid of your borders
I aint afraid of your choices

I aint afraid of your Sunday
I aint afraid of your Sabbath
I aint afraid of your teachers

I aint afraid of your dances
I aint afraid of your music
I aint afraid of your children
I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god

Notes

Many thanks to Holly Near for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection. I heard it first at the 2003 National Folk Festival in Canberra sung by Roy Bailey. With an audience of over 5000 joining in it was very powerful.

Holly writes "There is also a version of the song out on the new Klezmatics recording that includes verses in Yiddish."

Visit Holly's website at http://www.hollynear.com/

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