As fall is in the air, Norah Jones’ song, My Dear Country, has come to mind — Election day impending upon us, the hype surrounding it coming to an intolerable climax. While it may seem gloomy, no matter your thoughts, whether your political opinions align with Ms Jones, and no matter your vote, I find her poem intriguing and at the end, a solid reminder to be thankful for the freedom & liberties we do have. Let’s not forget where we’ve come from.
illustration of Norah from her website
Lyrics for Norah Jones’ My Dear Country: [hear it here]
‘Twas Halloween and the ghosts were out,
And everywhere they’d go, they shout,
And though I covered my eyes I knew,
They’d go away.But fear’s the only thing I saw,
And three days later ’twas clear to all,
That nothing is as scary as election day.But the day after is darker,
And darker and darker it goes,
Who knows, maybe the plans will change,
Who knows, maybe he’s not deranged.The news men know what they know, but they,
Know even less than what they say,
And I don’t know who I can trust,
For they come what may.’cause we believed in our candidate,
But even more it’s the one we hate,
I needed someone I could shake,
On election day.But the day after is darker,
And deeper and deeper we go,
Who knows, maybe it’s all a dream,
Who knows if I’ll wake up and scream.I love the things that you’ve given me,
I cherish you my dear country,
But sometimes I don’t understand,
The way we play.I love the things that you’ve given me,
And most of all that I am free,
To have a song that I can sing,
On election day.
