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Watch: Genre-Defying Band, Mourning A BLKstar, Performs Songs Dedicated to Police Brutality Victims

Web ExclusiveMarch 19, 2018
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Watch Ohio-based band Mourning [A] BLKstar perform their songs in the New York City studios of Democracy Now! that are dedicated to victims of police brutality, including Tamir Rice and Eric Garner.

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Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

KYLE KIDD: Hi. We are Mourning [A] BLKstar out of Cleveland, Ohio. We are so excited to be here. We are a eight-piece band, and we are a genre-nonconforming band. We kind of do whatever we feel, wherever we go. So, we are so excited to be here, and we’re going to share some stuff with you.

LATOYA KENT: This first song is called “These Stars Collide.”

MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR: [performing “These Stars Collide”]

Yes, these stars collide
In judgment of your rule
In concert with the air
Your reign is misery
And this land is not yours
It’s sovereign
It’s god
And man
And earth

My side, this is a lie
You kill my kind
O lord
And when the marching fails us
The sun comes down
And crush the imperial
In you
I will not stare
And witness the murder
Of my kind, yeah

My will is aligned
With the stars
And the earth
Is my god
And the earth
Is my god

Philando, Philando
Tamir, sweet Tamir
Tanisha, Tanisha
O Eric, Eric
Mike Brown
Miss Bland
Freddie Gray
Akai
Rumain Brisbon
Powell
Ford
Parker
Crawford
Victor White
Yvette
Cochran
Jordan Baker
Andy Lopez

All these names families
All these names families
All these names families
All these names families

KYLE KIDD: This next selection we’re going to do is entitled “Wanders.”

MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR: [performing “Wanders”]

It’s all the same
I know you sense it too
The failing
The blame
The guilt
The shame
Time passes you
At the row you till
To let no one die
No spar
No kiss

Look the other way
'Cause you're not to blame
I’ve been sitting still
'Cause it's the only way
To make this heartache go away

No love
No bliss
No care
No love
No bliss
No care
There’s no love
No bliss
No care

I’ve been sitting still
'Cause it's the only way
To make this heartache go away

No love
No bliss
No care
No love
No bliss
No care

Well you’re wanderers
So make sense of this

No love
No bliss
No care

JAMES LONGS: All right, this next song is called “Garner Poem.” It’s dedicated to Eric Garner.

MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR: [performing “Garner Poem”]

I can’t breathe
No, it ain’t your hands
Choking me
It’s history
Out of hand with police
Situation’s critical
You agree, yeah
Hey, you’d agree

They kill children in the park
Murder youth unarmed
They stand on the corner
Claiming space that’s ours
Hey, they kill children in the park
Murder youth unarmed
They stand on my corner
Claiming space that’s ours
Hey

I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe, yeah
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe, yeah
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe
Said I can’t breathe, no
I can’t breathe
Said I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe

Hey, we want fire
We want fire
Burn it to the ground
Burn it to the ground
Can’t wait no longer
Do you hear the riot sound, yeah
Hey, we want fire
We want fire
Burn it to the ground
Burn it to the ground
Can’t wait no longer
Do you fear the riot sound, yeah
Hey, come on

I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
I can’t breathe
It ain’t your hands
Say it, I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
Said I can’t breathe, no
I can’t breathe
Said I can’t breathe, no
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe

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