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Sea Green Singers - Lily - by Isabelle Mambour - Score and lyrics - Score on one page:
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Lilly byPierre Perret - Translated from French: Mike Cox
Some said she was really pretty- Lily
She came by boat from Somalie
In a ship full of refugees, they all came voluntarily,
To empty dustbins in Pareeh.

She thought equality the norm, Lily
Where Voltaire and Hugo were born, Lily
In contrast Debussy writes
Two black notes for one that is white,
That's uite a difference to the norm.

The thing she loved was liberty, Lilly
She dreamed about fraternity, Lilly
A hotel keeper put her right,
On the day that she'd just arrived
that they would only take on whites.

She stacked shelves and cleaned out the loo, Lilly
jobs noone else wanted to do, Lilly
She sold veg standing on her feet,
and her black brothers kept the beat,
With pneumatic drils in the street.

And when they laughed and called Snow White, Lilly
She didn't show she was up tight, Lilly
She laughed a smile so wide, with gritted teeth,
Took it in her stride,
So they'd not see her when she cried

A blond guy courted her a while, Lilly,
ready to take her up the aisle Lilly,
But his folks made it all quite clear,
Though we're not racist never fear,
But its not what we wnat just here.

America took her fancy,Lilly
The great land of democracy, Lilly
She very soon became aware,
the colur hopeless over there
is just as black as over here

But in a meeting in Memphis, Lilly
She there saw Angela Davis, Lilly,
Who said 'You sre my sister right?
If we unite, the fear we'll fight,
Of wolves watching the hunters might.

And then to put her fear to flight, Lilly,
She raised a clanched fist its full heights,Lilly,
In the middle of all these clowns,
who burn the buses in the towns,
buses which kept the black from white.

In the grief out there in the street, Lilly
You'll find your-self a guy so sweet,Lilly
A child to you'll be born one day,
the colour of love everyone will say,
And that's one thing none can defeat.

Some said she was really pretty, Lilly
She came by boat from Somalie, Lilly
In a boat full of refugees
They all came voluntarily
To empty dust bins in Pareeh

In a boat full of refugees
They all came voluntarily
to empty dustbins in Pareeh

parole Lily - Pierre Perret lyrics

paroles officielles ? Lily ?
On la trouvait plutôt jolie, Lily
Elle arrivait des Somalie, Lily
Dans un bateau plein d'émigrés
Qui venaient tous de leur plein gré
Vider les poubelles à Paris

Elle croyait qu'on était égaux, Lily
Au pays d'Voltaire et d'Hugo, Lily
Mais, pour Debussy, en revanche
Il faut deux noires pour une blanche
Ça fait un sacré distinguo

Elle aimait tant la liberté, Lily
Elle rêvait de fraternité, Lily
Un hôtelier, rue Secrétan
Lui a précisé, en arrivant
Qu'on ne recevait que des Blancs

Elle a déchargé des cageots, Lily
Elle s'est tapée les sales boulots, Lily
Elle crie pour vendre des choux-fleurs
Dans la rue, ses frères de couleur
L'accompagnent aux marteaux-piqueurs

Et quand on l'appelait Blanche-Neige, Lily
Elle se laissait plus prendre au piège, Lily
Elle trouvait ça très amusant
Même s'il fallait serrer les dents
Ils auraient été trop contents

Elle aima un beau blond frisé, Lily
Qui était tout prêt à l'épouser, Lily
Mais, la belle-famille lui dit
"Nous ne sommes pas racistes pour deux sous"
"Mais, on veut pas de ça chez nous"

Elle a essayé l'Amérique, Lily
Ce grand pays démocratique, Lily
Elle aurait pas cru sans le voir
Que la couleur du désespoir
Là-bas, aussi ce fût le noir

Mais, dans un meeting à Memphis, Lily
Elle a vu Angela Davis, Lily
Qui lui dit "viens, ma petite sœur"
"En s'unissant, on a moins peur"
"Des loups qui guettent le trappeur"

Et c'est pour conjurer sa peur, Lily
Qu'elle lève aussi un poing rageur, Lily
Au milieu de tous ces gugusses
Qui foutent le feu aux autobus
Interdits aux gens de couleur

Mais, dans ton combat quotidien, Lily
Tu connaîtras un type bien, Lily
Et l'enfant qui naîtra, un jour
Aura la couleur de l'amour
Contre laquelle on ne peut rien

On la trouvait plutôt jolie, Lily
Elle arrivait des Somalie, Lily
Dans un bateau plein d'émigrés
Qui venaient tous de leur plein gré
Vider les poubelles à Paris

Lilly byPierre Perret - Translated from French: Mike Cox
. C--------------Dm---C----------G7
1. Some said she was really pretty- Lily
C-------Dm-----C--------------G7
She came by boat from Somalie, Lilly
G-----F--------Em
In a ship full of refugees,
------Dm-------C
they all came voluntarily,
-----------G7------C--Riff
To empty dustbins in Pareeh.


C-----------Dn----G7
2. She thought equality the norm, Lily
C-----------Dm------C-------------G7
Where Voltaire and Hugo were born, Lily
G----------F------Em
In contrast Debussy writes
------------Dm-----------------C
Two black notes for one that is white,
-------------G7---C-----------G
That's quite a difference to the norm.

C----------------Am--------G7----C
3. The thing she loved was liberty, Lilly
E7------------------Am------Am
She dreamed about fraternity, Lilly
--------G7------------C
A hotel keeper put her right,
--------Dm----------Am
On the day that she'd just arrived
--------B7------------E-----E7
hat they would only take on whites.

C--------Dm-----------------C----------------G7
3. She stacked shelves and cleaned out the loo, Lilly
C ---------Dm-----C---------G7
jobs noone else wanted to do, Lilly
G-------Dm----------C------G7
She sold veg standing on her feet,
----------Dm ------------------C
and her black brothers kept the beat,
--------G7-----------C----G
With pneumatic drills in the street.

C-----------------Dm----------C-----------------G7
4. And when they laughed and called Snow White, Lilly
C------------Dm--------C-------G7
She didn't show she was up tight, Lilly
-G-----------------F-----------------Em
She laughed a smile so wide, with gritted teeth,
-------Dm--------C
Took it in her stride,
------------G7----------C------G
So they'd not see her when she cried

--C-------------Am-------G-----C
5. A blond guy courted her a while, Lilly,
E---------E------------Am----Am
ready to take her up the aisle Lilly,
Am---------G---------------C
But his folks made it all quite clear,
------------Dm-----------Am--
Though we're not racist never fear,
--------B7---------E-------E7
But its not what we want just here.

C----------Dm-----C------G7
6. America took her fancy,Lilly
C----------Dm-------C------G7
The great land of democracy, Lilly
G-----------F--------------Em
She very soon became aware, Lilly
-----------Dm------------C
the colour hopeless over there
----------G7---------C---G
is just as black as over here

C-------Dm-----------C-----G7
But in a meeting in Memphis, Lilly
C-------------Dm-----C-----G7
She there saw Angela Davis, Lilly,
G----------F----------------Em
Who said 'You sre my sister right?
-------Dm-------------C
If we unite, the fear we'll fight,
------------G7-----------C-------G
Of wolves watching the hunters might.


C--------------F-----------G7-----C
6. And then to put her fear to flight, Lilly,
E7 -------------------------Am--------Am
She raised a clenched fist its full heights,Lilly,
F -------------G7---------C
In the middle of all these clowns,
--------------G------------E
who burn the buses in the towns,
------B7---------------E--------E7
buses which kept the black from white.


C----------Dm-------------C----G7
In the grief out there in the street, Lilly
C---------------Dm---------C-----G7
You'll find your-self a guy so sweet,Lilly
G------------------F--------Em
A child to you'll be born one day,
---------Dm---------C
the colour of love people will say,
-----G7-------------------C
And that's one thing none can defeat.


C------------------Dm---C-----G7
Some said she was really pretty, Lilly
C------------Dm---------C------G7
She came by boat from Somalie, Lilly
G--------F--------Em
In a boat full of refugees
--------Dm-----------C
They all came voluntarily
------------G---------C
To empty dust bins in Pareeh

In a boat full of refugees

They all came voluntarily

to empty dustbins in Pareeh