Walk A Mile In My Shoes

Until we are willing to validate not just our indigenous peoples’ claim to equality, but also their anger at being dispossessed and nearly eliminated, we can’t call ourselves Christian.  This song is for all those “Christians” who care more about maintaining the status quo than they do about celebrating the ancient culture which still has to struggle to survive amidst white privilege.

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You ask me why I drink and smoke
You wonder if I read the news
You tell me I should work and vote –
Come here and walk a mile in my shoes.

I’ve been for jobs but bosses say,
“You people, you’re all lazy bums”
They never care that we were there
And worked the land till white man come.
I’d work that hard if I could choose –
Come on and walk a mile in my shoes.

You ask me why we die so young:
It’s dispossession broke our lives
Our land removed, diseases brought,
Our people gone, our wealth despised.
You wonder why we’ve got the blues?
Get real and walk a mile in my shoes.

(Bridge)
Our ancient land, you tore it down
Our songlines gone, you wore us down
You brought us grief, you caused us shame
You massacred in Jesus’ name.

Your faith is just two thousand years,
Six thousand if you count the Jews,
My faith is fifty times that old –
Why don’t you walk a mile in my shoes?

© Clare Pascoe 2018