We Choose Love Lyrics

1. WE CHOOSE LOVE
2. WHERE THE TEMPEST BLOWS
3. STILL WE RISE
4. NIBI WALK

WE CHOOSE LOVE
by Barbara Tilsen
“The true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.”—Che Guevara

CHORUS
We choose love, we choose love
Love will show the way
In wild, troubling times
It brings a brand new day
We choose love, we choose love
Let healing love abound
In the face of hate and fear
May love circle round

The ones who’ve gone before us
Memory in our bones
Carry and sustain us
bring us all back home
The ones who are yet to come
guide how we proceed
Garden flowers holding
the promise of the seed CHORUS

Let love’s power strengthen us
flow within our veins
As we mend what’s broken
all that we must change
Together lift our sails
Justice by our side
Riding waves of turbulence
we will turn the tide CHORUS
© Barbara S. Tilsen

WHERE THE TEMPEST BLOWS
by Malvina Reynolds

Peace is where the tempest blows
In the middle of the battle
That gentle flower grows
In freedom’s fight the soul shines warm
And peace is here
Is here in the heart of the storm

Words & music by Malvina Reynolds
Copyright 1970 Schroder Music Co. (ASCAP). Renewed 1998
Used by permission. All rights reserved

STILL WE RISE
by Barbara Tilsen

Tar Sands down to New Orleans, land and towns between
Pay the price of oil spills, keep our water clean
Take a stand protect the land, risking prison time
Polluting Earth our Mother is the real crime
the real crime…

CHORUS
Still we rise, still we rise
Time to organize, speaking truth to lies
Still we rise, still we rise
Eyes on the prize, still we rise

Echoes of Standing Rock sound across the land
Rise up, defend the sacred, together hand in hand
Treaty lands, peoples rights gripped in toxic vice
Black and brown communities pay the highest price
Highest price…
CHORUS

Dakota Access Pipeline, ends in the Bayou
In Louisiana, they fought for me and you
Unique and precious wetlands dealt a deadly fate
Eco-system’s balance destroyed by greed and hate
Greed and hate…
CHORUS

In Northern Minnesota, land and livelihood’s at stake
We say no to Line 3, for our children’s sake
We leave a wound extracting riches from the earth
From our stories, hearts and souls when profit measures worth
Measures worth…
CHORUS

Wild and raging fires spread, there’s ever rising seas
It’s the time of reckoning, of climate refugees
There’s a cleaner greener way, a healing world in sight
In peace and prayer and song we say water is life
Is life…
CHORUS
© Barbara S. Tilsen

Nibi Walk
by Barbara Tilsen

every step a prayer
every step a journey
every breath a song
river flowing life blood
as one we belong

flowing river waters
rippling streams and ponds
rising waves on the shore
echo ocean songs

Living water, life way
arteries and veins
water walking women
singing the refrain

Walking ceremony
river’s winding length
copper vessel holding
water, hope, and strength

every step a prayer
keepers of the water
loving hearts and minds
stepping in the footprints
women throughout time

singing to the water
singing Mother Earth
ancestors yet to come
sing the world’s rebirth

every step a journey
every step with care
love is our healing grace
every step a prayer

© Barbara S. Tilsen