Djana Gabrielle: This is Our Battlefield
Singer-songwriter Djana Gabrielle has written and recorded This is Our Battlefield, a song that explores how, for people of colour, “the casual everyday racism we encounter is part of our normality”.
Singer-songwriter Djana Gabrielle has written and recorded This is Our Battlefield, a song inspired by the death of George Floyd in the US. The song explores how, for people of colour, “the casual everyday racism we encounter is part of our normality”, and how this experience was exacerbated for Djana by an emotionally draining lockdown.
Djana Gabrielle said: “This song was written in light of the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd. I was deeply affected by his death and the SMHAF commission actually gave me the opportunity to put pen to paper as I had kept these feelings inside for quite some time. So the lyrics came quite easily. They reflect my mental state at the time. I was discouraged and exhausted. I wondered if any meaningful change would ever come and if our worth would stop being intrinsically linked to the colour of our skin. I still wonder.”
You can stream or download the song via Djana’s Bandcamp page.
Lyrics
This is Our Battlefield
Music and Lyrics by Djana Gabrielle
Verse 1
It’s been a long day
But the trouble is I can’t rest
And forget
‘Cause the same old story unfolds
Though we don’t know what the future holds
Except for the ones who are
Pre-chorus
Passing by with the wrong number
The ones who are
Mistaken as a sign of danger
The ones who are
Asleep at home when they knock at the door
The ones who are
Fragile minds and lost at heart
Chorus
I wonder
Shall we keep fighting for change?
Can we beat the odds?
When the end is the same
But I can hear the words of those who stood before me
This is our battlefield
Verse 2
It’s been a long night
I can spy the morning light in all its shades
The mark of a brand new day
We can live in every way
Except for the ones who are
Pre-chorus
Trying to change their circumstance
The ones who are
Trying to breathe again and again
The ones who are
Praying the lord he comes back home
The ones who are
Teaching the drill to their sons
Chorus
I wonder
Shall we keep fighting for change?
Can we beat the odds?
When the end is the same
But I can hear the words of those who stood before me
This is our battlefield
Bridge
Always in your face
The system is working well
Years, it’s been years of the same problem
What can we expect then ?
End chorus
I wonder
Can we beat the odds?
Though I can hear the words of those who stood before me
This is our battlefield
Keep standing up for love
This is our battlefield
Keep following the dream
This is our battlefield
One day it’ll be enough
This is our battlefield
This is our battlefield