Don’t Look the Other Way

2 Dec

During scary movie scenes, I usually bury my face in my hands (or in my neighbor’s popcorn).  When life presents us with images or stories that are hard to handle, we may choose to avoid them altogether, especially when we come across them in the midst of our daily routines.  So the next time divisiveness creeps in during or after a political campaign, labor strike, terrorist attack, or anti-war rally, let us try to look deeply into the eyes of our neighbors and opponents.  Maybe some of the faces already occupy a special place in our hearts.  If nothing else, maybe we’ll gain some understanding.
Along these lines, I offer some freshly penned lyrics for your consumption.  As I was writing this song, I began thinking about people whose day-to-day life experiences differ greatly from mine.  The phrase “female soldiers armed for combat” came to mind at some point.  I wondered whether or not American women actually serve on the front lines.  After some research, I discovered Lioness, an independent film that documents the changing role of several American female soldiers whose service did not receive the recognition it deserved during the invasion of Iraq five years ago.  Released earlier this year, the film’s tag line reads: “THERE FOR THE ACTION. MISSING FROM HISTORY.”  Below is an excerpt from the filmmaker statement published on PBS.org:

It soon became clear to us that a turning point had been reached. The rise of the insurgency had obliterated the notion of a front line and the support units in which women serve were increasingly in the line of fire. As a result, the official U.S. policy banning female soldiers from serving in direct ground combat was being severely tested, if not violated, on a regular basis. This war was changing the face of America’s combat warrior; it was no longer exclusively male. Intrigued, we wondered who were these women serving in our name? What was it like for them to be on the cutting edge of history in the midst of such a complex unpopular war?

The faces I see in the song below live in a world that is different from mine, but there is something about each face that resonates with me.  Dawn Norfleet will join me on flute and vocals for the *super official world premiere* of Don’t Look the Other Way this Thursday, December 4, 2008 at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles.

Don’t Look the Other Way

By Manisha Shahane


Intro

I was waiting at the bus stop

When an old man walked on by

With leathery skin, a toothless grin

Smiling bright were grandpa’s eyes


Verse 1

Waking up, it’s Monday morning

I stumble upon the LA Times

Front page shows an orphaned child

Whose eyes I’ve seen at another time

Yes, I’ve seen your face in another place


Verse 2

Picket lines are forming quickly

For some it’s the crisis of their lives

One man’s voice leads the way

I have heard his call at another time

Yes, I have seen his face in another place

I hear him say


Chorus

Don’t look the other way

Please don’t look the other way

Don’t look the other way

Turn around today


Verse 3

Female soldiers armed for combat

The Lioness Team rank and file

Fighting with little recognition is

Your daughter, lover, girlfriend, wife

You have seen her face in another place

Now hear her say


Chorus


Bridge

I see my fears

Embodied in your tears

So I want to turn away

Because I don’t know what to say

When I see your face


Alternate Chorus

But I won’t look the other way

I know you are the same

As my sisters and brothers,

My mother or father


Ending

I was waiting at the bus stop

When an old man walked on by

With leathery skin, a toothless grin

Smiling bright were grandpa’s eyes

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