My Word is Free
I am all the free people of the world put together
Welcome to new subscribers and regular readers! Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “My Word is Free” by Emel Mathlouthi. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article. I have used the lyrics found in the video for this post.
I have written the background to the song between the lyrics (in italics). For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.
(539 words)
This song from 2012, My Word is Free, is by the Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi. She sings about the power of working together, of holding on to hope, and of never giving up.
I am those who are free and never fear
I am the secrets that will never die
I am the voice of those who would not give in
I am the meaning amid the chaos
The Tunisian revolution, also called the Jasmine Revolution or the Revolution of Dignity, started in December 2010. It ended on January 14, 2011, when the leader at that time, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, was forced to leave. People began protesting because they didn’t have jobs, food was too expensive, the government was unfair, and life was very hard. The protests really started when a man named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire on December 17, 2010, because he was treated badly by the authorities.
I am the right of the oppressed
That is sold by these dogs (the regime)
Who rob the people of their daily bread
And slam the door in the face of ideas
Don't forget the price of bread
And don't forget the cause of our misery
And don't forget who betrayed us in our time of need
The first protests spread quickly to other parts of Tunisia. Many young people, workers, and community groups joined in. The country’s leader, President Ben Ali, tried to stop the protests by using violence. Police and soldiers shot at people, which led to 338 deaths and more than 2,000 injuries.
I am the secret of the red rose
Whose color they adored for years
Whose scent they buried with it
And who sprouted as fire
Calling those who are free
President Ben Ali tried to calm things down by changing some government leaders and promising to create 300,000 new jobs. But when he went on TV and called the protesters “extremists,” it made people even more upset.
I am a star shining in the darkness
I am a thorn in the throat of the oppressor
I am a wind touched by fire
I am the soul of those who are not forgotten
I am the voice of those who have not died
By January 2011, large protests were happening in the capital city, Tunis. The fights between protesters and the police got worse. On January 14, Ben Ali left the country and went to Saudi Arabia. After that, a temporary government was formed. There was still chaos, and the protests continued. When the leader of the temporary government resigned, The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet—a group of civil society groups—worked to create a peaceful democratic transition. This group received the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize for their work.
Let's make clay out of steel
And build with it a new love
That becomes birds
That becomes a country/home
That becomes wind and rain
I am all the free people of the world put together
I am like a bullet
Even though the revolution ended, it showed how people working together can create important social changes. It changed how leaders are chosen in the region and proved that people in the Arab world can hope for and work toward democracy.
Leave a comment or ask a question. It’s a good way to improve your English!
Vocabulary
amid 中
revolution 革命
dignity 尊厳
authorities 権力
oppressed 抑圧された
regime 政治制度
slam the door ドアをバタンと閉める
misery 悲惨
betray 裏切る
injury 傷害
adore 崇拝する
bury 埋葬する
sprout 芽生える
extremist 過激派
thorn 刺
oppressor 抑圧者
resign 辞任
civil society groups 市民社会団体
transition 移行
clay 粘土
Sources
National dialogue quartet. NobelPrize.org. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2015/summary/
The Tunisian Revolution: A revolution that shifted the Arab world. Graduate thesis by (name withheld). Università Ca' Foscari Venezia.
https://unitesi.unive.it/retrieve/0a2c40d0-4d82-43b1-80a4-12fa1ef172aa/842335-1178297.pdf
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英検2級 TOEIC CEFRB1 #protestsong #history #music
They resisted well if I remember rightly Louise, I think many changes came about because of these protests and were well deserved.
This is so fascinating! Thank you 🙏