Wide Awake
Rousing Reflections: Awake in an Uncertain World
Lyrics
You can look a hurricane right in the eye
You have the courage to confront a powerful force or situation directly.
Twelve hundred people dead or left to die
A large number of individuals have either died or been abandoned to perish.
Follow the leaders
Following those in authority or leadership positions.
Were it an eye for an eye
If retaliation were the norm, seeking revenge for wrongdoing, everyone would suffer.
We'd all be blind, deaf or murdered
In a retaliatory cycle, everyone would ultimately be impaired, unable to hear, or killed.
This I'm sure
The certainty in the belief just expressed.
In this uncertain time
During this period of unpredictability or instability.
So come pull a sheet over my eyes
Asking someone to cover their eyes symbolically.
So I can sleep tonight
To find solace or peace by avoiding the harsh realities.
Despite what I've seen today
Despite witnessing disturbing events today.
I find you guilty of the crime
Blaming the listener for negligence or ignorance.
Of sleeping in a time when you should have been wide awake
Accusing someone of slumbering at a crucial moment.
Down on the road the world is floating by
Observing the world passing by, neglecting the disadvantaged.
The poor and undefended left behind
The marginalized and defenseless are abandoned.
While you're somewhere trading lives for oil
Suggesting that some are prioritizing material gains over human lives.
As if the whole world were blind
Behaving as though everyone is oblivious to reality.
So come pull a sheet over my eyes
A repetition, asking to cover eyes for a sense of peace.
So I can sleep tonight
Similar to line 10, seeking solace despite witnessing disturbing events.
Despite what I've seen today
Blaming the listener again for negligence or ignorance.
I've found you guilty of the crime
Reiterating the accusation of being unaware during a critical period.
Of sleeping in a time when you should have been wide awake
Reiterating the accusation of neglecting the significant moment in time.
Come pull this sheet over my eyes
Repetition of the symbolic act to find peace by covering eyes.
So I can sleep tonight
A repetition seeking peace despite distressing experiences.
Despite what I've seen today
Despite witnessing troubling events today.
I found you guilty of the crime
Repeating the accusation of neglecting the significant moment in time.
Of sleeping in a time when you should have been wide awake
Reiterating the accusation of being unaware during a crucial period.
Wide awake
Being fully conscious or aware of the circumstances.
Wide awake
Repetition emphasizing being fully alert or awake.
Wide awake
Continued emphasis on being fully conscious.
Wide awake
Repeating the idea of being fully conscious or alert.
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