Motherland (Natalie Merchant) - Cover by Stefan

Natalie Merchant posted this comment about the song.
"MOTHERLAND has much deeper resonance since the events of September 11th and its aftermath. I was far more cynical when I wrote, 'Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep, keep me safe, lie with me, stay beside me, don't go.' Now the song is a desperate plea for innocence, to be 'faceless, nameless, innocent, blameless and free,' expresses a craving we all share now for the world we took for granted and lost. Suddenly there seems to be no hiding from our past as a nation or our present, or our future. For me it's the death of nostalgia and dreams."
Recorded by, audio, and video editing by Stefan Zimberoff
Lyrics:
Where in hell can you go, far from the things that you know
Far from this sprawl of concrete that keeps crawling its way
'Bout a thousand miles a day
Take one last look behind, commit this to memory and mind
Don't miss this wasteland, this terrible place, when you leave
Keep your heart off your sleeve
Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe, lie with me - stay beside me, don't go, don't you go
Oh, my five and dime queen, tell me what have you seen
The lust and the avarice, the bottomless, the cavernous greed
Is that what you see
Oh, Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe, lie with me - stay beside me, don't go
It's your happiness - I want most of all
And for that I'd do anything at all, oh mercy me
If you want the best of it or the most of all
If there's anything I can do at all
Now, come on shotgun bride, what makes me envy your life
The faceless, the nameless, the innocent, the blameless and free
What's that like to be
Oh, Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe, lie with me - stay beside me don't go, don't go
Motherland cradle me, close my eyes, lullaby me to sleep
Keep me safe, lie with me - stay beside me, don't go, don't go...

[@sfauer]

Stephen here. Great song. I like Natalie Merchant. Your diverse and eclectic choice of songs is impressive.

[@sfauer]

Carol here: haunting song. The waltz tempo is pretty, but the lyrics are sad and still relevant today.