Muster
Harmony Amidst Strife: A Call to Redemption in Indigo Girls' 'Muster'
Lyrics
All of the daddies were weathered
All the fathers had endured hardships and challenges.
All of the mommas were torn
All the mothers were emotionally distressed or conflicted.
Still the whole village came in their finest to see
The entire community gathered in their best attire to witness a significant event.
What could possibly be born
To witness what remarkable thing could come into existence.
Out of a house divided, in a world so brutal and maimed
In a divided household and a harsh, damaged world.
But then we saw the kids and found ourselves saying
Upon seeing the children, the observers found themselves expressing:
We’re gonna make it up to you
We will compensate for any shortcomings or mistakes.
Every day of our life
Commitment to making amends every day throughout life.
We’re gonna make it up
We will make up for the past.
We’re gonna get this right
Determined to correct and improve.
Some people held their daddy’s guns
Some individuals clung to their fathers' weapons.
Me, I hung mine on the wall
The speaker hung their own gun on the wall as a symbolic act.
For every war, we could have won
Belief that wars could be won without resorting to violence.
Without shooting them at all
Suggesting alternative, non-violent approaches to conflict resolution.
Is this the best we could muster?
Questioning if the efforts were the best that could be achieved.
Custer or just prayers for the slain
A reference to Custer and prayers, reflecting on historical events and spiritual considerations.
I wanna get this right and not the same old thing
Desire for genuine change and not repeating the same mistakes.
I wanna make this up to you
Personal commitment to making amends daily.
Every day of my life
Expressing a wish to rectify past wrongs continuously.
I wanna make this up
Aspiring to make up for mistakes and missteps.
I wanna get this right
Striving to achieve correctness and improvement.
Born of privilege, born of none
Reflecting on diverse origins, acknowledging privilege and adversity.
Hunger, disease, it’s all a gun
Associating hunger and disease metaphorically with weaponry.
Clean your plate kid, I want you to understand
Encouraging understanding of the consequences of societal isolation and global hunger.
The isolation we breed, the hunger in Yemen
Linking personal responsibility to comprehending the suffering in Yemen.
It’s your first lock down, you’re so young
Addressing a young generation's experience of lockdown.
But so are the kids under the barrel bombs
Contrasting with the profound challenges faced by children in conflict zones.
It’s the evil we helped let loose, it’s what we’ve become
Confronting the consequences of contributing to evil actions.
It’s all a gun, it’s all a gun
Emphasizing that everything, including evil, can be likened to a weapon.
I don’t know where we come from, what I know is that we ain’t done
Expressing uncertainty about humanity's origins but affirming continuous existence.
We got the river running, we got the animal cunning
Highlighting nature's elements, intelligence, and the mysteries of existence.
The back of a turtle, the Garden of Eden, the cosmic dust
Referencing various symbols and concepts, questioning the persistence of violence.
Why do we keep on gunning?
Pondering why there is a persistent inclination towards violence.
I got no use for these ramparts, ivory towers or the lines in the sand
Rejecting societal divisions and symbols, advocating for shared desires.
I think enough of the time, we want the same thing
Believing that, most of the time, people share common aspirations.
We gonna make it up to you
Reiterating the commitment to making amends throughout life.
Every day of our lives
Collective commitment to continuous improvement and rectification.
We wanna make it up
Expressing a desire to make up for past shortcomings.
We wanna get this right
Aspiring to achieve correctness and positive change.
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