The Death of Rachel Corrie
Echoes of Conscience: A Powerful Reflection on the Tragedy in Gaza
Lyrics
When she sat down in the dirt
Describing the moment when Rachel Corrie sat down in front of a military machine.
In front of your machine
Referring to the military machine facing Rachel Corrie.
A lovely woman dressed in red
Describing Rachel Corrie as a beautiful woman dressed in red.
You in military green
Contrasting Rachel's attire with the military personnel wearing green.
If you had met her in Jerusalem
Suggesting a hypothetical scenario in Jerusalem where a romantic interaction might have occurred.
You might have asked her on a date
Highlighting the contrast of the actual situation in Gaza, where the military machine is present.
But here you were in Gaza
Emphasizing the Gaza location and the imminent confrontation.
Rolling towards the gate
Describing the military machine moving towards a gate in Gaza.
As your foot went to the floor
Describing the acceleration of the military machine.
Did you recall her eyes
Asking the military personnel if they remembered Rachel Corrie's eyes.
Did her gaze remind you
Suggesting that Rachel's gaze might have reminded the military personnel of their actions.
That you've become what you despise
Reflecting on the irony that the military personnel may have become what they despise.
As you rolled on towards this woman
Describing the military machine approaching Rachel Corrie.
And ignored all the shouts to stop
Mentioning the disregard for warnings to stop.
Did you feel a shred of doubt
Questioning if there was any doubt or hesitation in the military personnel's mind.
As you watched her body drop
Highlighting the tragic moment when Rachel Corrie's body fell.
And as your Caterpillar tracks
Describing the Caterpillar tracks pressing on Rachel Corrie's body.
Upon her body pressed
Emphasizing the massive force (twenty tons) causing fatal injuries.
With twenty tons of deadly force
Highlighting the lethal consequences of the military machine's actions.
Crushed the bones within her chest
Emphasizing the impact on Rachel Corrie's chest and bones.
Could you feel the contours of her face
Asking if the military personnel could feel the physical details as a result of their actions.
As you took her life away
Reflecting on the moment when Rachel Corrie's life was taken away.
Did you serve your country well
Pondering whether the military personnel believed they served their country well.
On that cool spring day
Connecting the tragic event to a specific day, a cool spring day.
And when you went back across the Green Line
Describing the military personnel returning across the Green Line.
Back to the open shore
Referencing the return to a relatively open area, away from the immediate conflict.
Did you think that this was just another day
Raising the question of whether the military personnel considered it just another day in a conflict marked by dirty tactics.
In a dirty war
Reflecting on the normalization of violence in a dirty war.
And when you looked out on the water
Describing the military personnel looking out on the water, possibly contemplating their actions.
Did you feel an empty void
Wondering if there was a sense of emptiness or guilt.
Or was it just one more life you've taken
Pondering whether taking another life was just another statistic in the ongoing conflict.
One more home destroyed
Reflecting on the destruction caused by the military personnel.
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