To uncover the pain
I was given the task by a friend of choosing 10 songs that greatly influenced me. I will post one song per day, for 10 consecutive days. Each song draws the picture more clearly, showing what has inspired me or just given me solace.
Today’s song seems unusually prescient, but perhaps it is simply a song that is relevant every day in our America. I built out this list much earlier to explain the songs that are important to me, and here we are and the songs are contextualized by the events of this month, this week, this day, this hour, this minute. This life.
“Rose Petals” is a hymn by Dee Wilson. Dee’s a big guy. Genial. Affable. You’d probably enjoy having him over to the house or your party or even your church. He can sing, I tell you. And play some instruments. And he’s there for the music that lifts you up and carries you into the presence of God.
But Dee is — how do we say this so you hear? — a Black man. He’s Black when he’s a guest at your dinner or church. He’s Black when he sings.
And he’s Black when he writes music.
This song uses some imagery that is lifted from Tupac (of all things to put in a church hymn!) and lifted from the events in Ferguson, Missouri 400 years ago. Rose petals scattered on the concrete, the blossoms of joy and hope crushed, the lives struck down.
I first heard his music maybe a year ago — and it was this song. I can’t tell you how I found it or how it came to me, because I don’t look for music. I just encounter it.
This song hit me, hard. The words, sure, but also the plaint. Dee’s voice as a brother in my religion asking me to simply see the rose petals, and wonder why it is they are scattered so profusely.
Now sometimes when we look at a thing we are looking in order to gaze for our enjoyment or entertainment. It is how we are constructed: I don’t in any way say that when we react as we are fashioned it is not something to condemn as wrong. We are who we are. We watch spectacle. We are held, rapt, when we see violence and danger. Heck, we enjoy roller coasters and bungee jumping because it’s a spectacle we can be in with our safety the primary objective.
So it’s easy to gaze here. Incredible that this is happening. How unfortunate is the pain. How sad at the loss of lives. How cruel we can be. All the words we say to keep ourselves from seeing.
But sometimes it is very hard, I’m telling you, to watch the petals fall.
Rose Petals
Words and music by Dee Wilson
The blood of my brother
Was spilled on the street
He was the rose that grew out of the concrete
The same ground where his body lay
Like rose petals on a stony grave
Why do we fear each other?
From the lives of yesterday
I’ll never know
But look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Michael Brown
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Trayvon Martin
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Tyshawn Lee
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
It’s far too many for me
The tears of a mother
Are spilt at his grave
She knows the cost, the whole world could not repay
And when she should have felt our sympathy
All we told her, is that her baby was guilty
And do we even have compassion?
Do we even wanna see?
I’ll never know
But look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Freddie Gray
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Eric Garner
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
They call this one Sandra Bland
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
Every woman, every man
Ooh, sometimes I wonder
If you were more than a number
Would we ever see how beautiful
And special
And precious you were?
Somebody told me
That if only, if only
You could better decide
You would still be alive
But I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
Like the ones from Sandy Hook
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
His name ain’t changed the story
And our history books
So while we can let’s look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
And say a prayer for all these roses
Shout and march for all the roses
With petals on the ground
I’m asking you to look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
Look at all these roses
With petals on the ground
The blood of my brother
Was spilt on the street
He was the rose that grew out of the concrete