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An elegy for the loss of family farms to the whims of "market forces" and the wheels of suburban development
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Fiery and original radical songs of hope, justice and struggle
Ethan & Kate perform firey and original of hope, liberation and struggle. With hard-hitting lyrics, rich vocal harmonies and rhythmic high-energy acoustic guitar, their music aims to strengthen and inspire movements for social, economic and ecological justice. * * * * * RiOtFoLk "making folk a threat again!" * * * * * Hi friends, All of our music is here for free download (and also at www.riotfolk.org) because we believe in the power of songs as tools of struggle and social change-- and we want these tools to be freely shared with all who might find them useful. The songs here are also anti-copyright (registered into the Public Domain at ), because we believe that art should not be privately owned, but rather shared as part of our "cultural commons" (how could we copyright chords and language and ideas that are a thousand years old?!) "But if all your music is free, how do you eat?" people ask. Well, we work odd jobs, share income, and grow some of our food. We make some money from live gigs and CD sales. We live by mutual-aid and with low-impact ethics. We appreciate any donations you can give for these songs (or CD purchases)-- they help sustain us and allow us to continue our work. CDs can be purchased by mail order (see address below) and are sliding scale, $5-$30. SLiding scale is based on a principle of solidarity-- folks paying at a higher end makes it possible for us to offer this music to others who can't afford the usual high price of a CD. Thanks! CDs are also available for $15 at And of course, we'd love to come play in your town, so drop us a line... Keep loving, keep fighting! -e&k
Song Info
Genre
Acoustic • Acoustic Folk
Charts
Peak #30
Peak in subgenre #6
Author
Ethan Miller & Kate Boverman
Rights
anti-copyright (public domain)
Uploaded
October 21, 2005
Track Files
MP3
MP3 6.9 MB • 128 kbps • 0:00
Story behind the song
It is an all-too-familiar story: agricultural families throughout the world are losing their precious land and livelihoods to the whims of “market forces.” But whether due to excessive debt, competition from underpriced exports or unpredictable and fluctuating crop prices, the loss of family farms and community-based agri-cultures is not an accidental phenomenon. It is caused by specific, conscious policies enacted by global corporations and the institutions (nation-states, international trade agreements, etc.) that serve them. Their goal? Total for-profit corporate control of the world’s food systems. Our response to this unconscionable theft of Earth’s gifts must be creative, radical (meaning to the roots!), and joyfully defiant: plant gardens everywhere! Distribute food for free whenever and wherever possible! Refuse, as best you can, to buy their industrial food—support local farmers and farmer’s markets, join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, or get together with neighbors and grow your own! Tear up genetically-modified crops wherever they are planted! Support social movements in your local place and around the world that are working to dismantle the capitalist economy and build alternatives based on social, economic and ecological solidarity!
Lyrics
Simple Dirt (Ethan Miller & Kate Boverman) I rise every day before the dawn And work until the evening’s light is gone It’s a life of sweat and labor to be sure But a life I would not trade this whole world for This ain’t no simple dirt, this is the land of my birth And here I plant the seeds of all I know Is this all my life is worth, just some money for this earth? I offer you the fruit my hands have sown, All the life these fields have grown This house was built by skilled and careful hands Each stone and bean were carved out from this land Since the year of 1823, this house was home to family We plant the seeds they brought across the sea We’ve weathered many storms as they swept across this land We spent many winter nights around the table holding hands We wrapped ourselves in quilts that Grandma made from bags of grain Looked out to the west and prayed for summer rains But then they told us that the times were changing fast They told us that our way of life was a relic of the past So we sold our pigs and cows and took out loans for the machines Trading life for debt to someone else’s dreams Where once we planted gardens, we plant corn in endless rows It’s the market, not the weather now, that strikes the fateful blow ‘Cause the price of corn is made by people far away from here Folks who never had to fight to make it through another year The notice from the bank came in the mail I hung my head and cried for all I’d failed What was built by generations bow crumbles to the ground And another farm will vanish from this town When the fields are paved ad carved up into subdivision lots Will anyone remember what we’ve lost? They’ll name their new construction after what they’ve torn apart And they won’t just break this ground, they’ll break my heart My ancestors were refugees fleeing from the war Sowing seeds of safety on this distant shore And I watch as it slips through my hands, all that they worked for And now we will be refugees once more
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