Name: Otisfield
Channel: Ben Walter
Description: "Otisfield" is a song by Ben Walter. On October 2, 2000, Asel Asleh, a 17-year-old Arab youth and Seeds for Peace activist, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a rock-throwing protest in northern Israel. This song was written from the voice of one of his many Jewish friends.

Otisfield

Ben Walter

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On October 2, 2000, Asel Asleh, a 17-year-old Arab youth and Seeds for Peace activist, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers during a rock-throwing protest in northern Israel. This song was written from the voice of one of his many Jewish friends.

texas songwriter maine composer portland instrumentalist

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Ben Walter

A Texas born Portland, Maine songwriter, composer, arranger and instrumentalist, Ben Walter's music encompasses the genres of Americana, folk rock, and alternat

As a Texas born Portland, Maine songwriter, Ben's music is reflective of the Texas songwriting tradtion that bred in alternative country, americana, folk rock genres. As an accomplished fingerstyle and lead guitarist, orchestrator and lyricist, Ben's songs pose an insightfully realistic, yet optomistic scene of the world and the American experience.

Song Info

Genre

Rock • Folk Rock

Charts

Peak #1,494

Peak in subgenre #54

Author

Ben Walter

Rights

2004 PortCitySongworks

Uploaded

March 08, 2004

Track Files

MP3

MP3 4.5 MB • 128 kbps • 0:00

Lyrics

Now a strange wind blew out from the east
	and it’s heat filled the air
And we’d gathered for a funeral feast
	but Asel, (pronounced As SEAL) wasn’t there
And with a toast his soul rose into the wind
	where secrets are concealed
And it flew, not first to heaven,
	but to distant Otisfield

And the drums that echo through the streets
	they never leave my head
Their vigilance reminds me
	how this friend of mine lies dead
And the generations learn in school
	this wretched fate is sealed
But Asel spoke of different rules
	in distant Otisfield

CHORUS
	Where the fertile land holds promise
	That the harvest will grow tall
	And the seeds there scatter in the spring
	Will ripen with the fall
	Then the winds will turn back from the west
	To chase the harvest home
	With an olive branch from Otisfield
	Back to this land of the rocks and stone

Now I hate the way my father sits
	and watches our TV
An eye for eye – his battle cry
	and it makes no sense to me
Still my mother whispers to me, “Son
	the power of love can heal.
Now go join Asel’s spirit
	back in distant Otisfield”

BREAK
Why do we break each other’s bones
Like it’s all some ancient birth right game
Wreck each others homelands and
Curse each other’s names
And turn our backs and look away
As the blood consumes the gauze
And yet offer up the other cheek
		and pretend its all in vain
To validate the cause

Instrumental to Chorus

Like a rising star of David,
	and a modern child of Abraham
I lay myself to sleep between
	the lion and the lamb
And when I myself am older
	and my calling is revealed
And I won’t forget the seeds that came
	to fruit in Otisfield

CHORUS

With the lessons learned in Otisfield
	to guide my journey home

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