Do you think there will ever be changes
In the way the economy's run?
Do you think that they'll ever see the misery and degradation
That our political system has sown?
Do you think there will ever be changes
In the way the government's run?
When you perpetuate prejudice by color or creed,
How can such harm be undone?
But you turn to me with a tear in your eye
You say, "sea never dry"
My thoughts:
Lately, this song has been one of a handful of things keeping me from losing hope in the future of this world as the real-life embodiment of Kefka lays waste to all the progress that had been made in my country over the past sixty years. When I first heard this song on the Malcolm's Interview album Breakfast in Bedlam, the saying "sea never dry" was new to me, so I looked it up and learned that it's a West African proverb that means "trusting in the ceaseless power of the ocean brings hope"(1). I suppose the closest equivalent from my culture would be the phrase "hope springs eternal." It's been hard, but I've been clinging to hope that things will improve soon, or at least not get much worse.
Anyway, here is a little background on the song from the songwriter himself:
I heard the phrase "sea never dry" on a BBC radio show one afternoon about South Africa and knew I had to write a song. It turned out to be the most requested song we performed, especially once we decided to do it acappella. I recently heard a version recorded by Red Rubies - an interesting acappella trio based in the UK and felt inspired to dig out the music again. A lot has changed in the world since those days but oddly enough much remains unchanged in our attitudes - just different geographies...ah well...sea never dry as they say...(2)
Sea never dry, indeed.
Book script courtesy of https://ribo.zone/free/snippets/
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