Lyrics for Song "Let David Live" by Luke Redfield

LET DAVID LIVE

by luke redfield
http://lukeredfield.com
http://letdavidlive.org 

May 31, 2010

young man fell in with the wrong crowd
we all done things of which we ain't proud
he may have not been right in the mind
and that don't pardon his heinous crime
but david lee powell has shown his remorse
for the night in '68 when he went off course

ralph ablanedo was a good man
his call of duty was patrolling the land
pulled david over, was fatefully shot
now killing david won't bring back the cop
the officer's gone, his family has lost
we can't forget what christ has taught

you can't forget what the good book says
you can't forget what forgiveness does
you can't forget if you kill this new man
he's already killed who he was

sentenced to life, then sentenced to death
prison has taken thirty years of his breath
solitary confinement for a whole decade
seven guards testified that david has changed
he teaches inmates how to write and read
counsels drug addicts and they come clean

composing music in his cell
he keeps his mind free from his confined hell
he looks within, where only he can go
if he's truly sorry, only he knows
but if you take this man's life
it's no different than what he did that night

you can't forget what the good book says
you can't forget what forgiveness does
you can't forget if you kill this new man
he's already killed who he was

on june 15th, 2010
the state of texas will make a human life end
to the one scheduled to do the deed:
flip the switch or inject lethally
you're just "doing your job," getting paid by the state
how can you be employed by hate?

texas, y'all claim to be a righteous place
followers, believers in amazing grace
but when it comes to eye for an eye
you're still living in the caveman times
you're still living in the caveman times
pretty soon, pretty soon, we'll all be blind

you can't forget what the good book says
you can't forget what forgiveness does
you can't forget if you kill this new man
he's already killed who he was

would jesus kill david lee?
would the buddha seek vengeance so obsessively?
would gandhi take this man's life?
would martin luther king condone it as right?
would rick perry or george w. bush
have the guts to be the ones to give that button a push?

when you're in the chamber, about to stop his heart
look around and see all of that which you're a part
when you're face to face, and he gives you the nod
and you're looking directly into the face of God
if you take his life, you take your brother, your mother,
your sister, your father, your daughter, your son
'cause you know, inside, we all are one

--

Luke Redfield
http://lukeredfield.com