When I wrote this song in October 2006, it was the end process of a song that had evolved into a poem and then finally became a song again!

It was the gentle persistence of Wauchope’s Art Council’s Krissa Wilkinson to finish the poem that inspired its completion and subsequent rebirth as a new song.

Having seen and heard news commentaries on the seriousness of the world’s water situation, and in fact living in a country that is suffering its worst and longest drought in a century, led me to thinking on the issues of war and resources and how often the two go together.

Since arriving in Hong Kong  I have heard comments such as “the next world war will be fought over the issue of water”.

When two of our team were in Beijing recently, they saw and photographed a billboard which exactly expressed this idea and to actually see these words as a public statement was almost a shock.

And so I have posted the lyrics to “IF” and hope to have this new song recorded in the coming months. We have actually started but there is more work to be done re arrangement.

If There Was Oil In The Sky

Would We Let The Birds Fly?

If There Was Gold In The Clouds

Would We Glimpse The Sun Through The Desperate Crowds?

If There Was Trouble And Strife Somewhere

Would We Fight For Anonymous Lives?

Would We Cross The Politically Correct Divide

To See From Another Man’s Side?

If Our Water Became Like Our Oil

Would We War On Another Man’s Soil?

If Our Water Was Traded Like Gold

Who Would Go Thirsty As H2O Shares Were Bought Up And Sold?

If There Was Someone Who Dared

To Rock The Status Quo Just Because They Cared

No Oil Or Gold To Gain

Just A Conscience Purged Of Shame

If We Could Leave Alone Another Man’s Soil

Up The Value Of Life Over A Barrel Of Oil

If We Would Stand With Those Who Are On The Run

Use The Power Of Our Voice Against The Terrorist’s Gun

Pol Pot Never Died

His Spirit Rising Up In Another Genocide

What Will Be Done

Stalin’s Ethnic Cleansing Policies

Are Alive And Well For Burma’s IDPs

Fifty Years On The Run

If We Could Live Tomorrow Now

What Would We Change?

What Would We Allow?

Would We Take What We Want Because We Can

Or Would We Stand With The Weak And Bless Their Land?

If There Was Someone Who Dared

To Rock The Status Quo Just Because They Cared

No Oil Or Gold To Gain

Just A Conscience Purged Of Shame.

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