Two Sides Of Silence Lyrics - Bass Culture - Linton Kwesi Johnson

to us 

who were 

of necessary birth 

for the earths hard 

and thankless toil 

silence has no meaning 

there is never a feeling 

of tranquility 

or mere quietness 

never a moment 

of soundless calm 

from within or without 

our troubled selves 

how can the clamor 

of sounds be stilled? 

there is no void where 

noices can collect 

and be made mute 

[ ] 

how indeed 

can there be silence 

when our hearts beat out 

a sonorous beat 

meeting the beating drums 

of an african past 

when our eyes shed 

solid tears of iron blood 

that falls on concrete ground 

inside our ears 

are the many wailing cries 

of mysery 

inside our bodies 

the internal bleeding 

of [ ] volcanos 

inside our heads 

the wrapped in thoughts 

of rebellion 

how can there be calm 

when the storm is yet to come? 

this unending silence 

taut, impervious, unbending 

not lending an ear 

to the most delicate of sounds 

awaits the blast of bombs 

which man will explode 

to break this silent bond 

to [ ] 

to the use to create 

hills of soft obedience 

where sweet-clothed sounds 

can rebound 

and their echoes glide 

like a carefree bird 

in rythmic calm 

to a mellow 

pure, silent space