Heart of an Activist, Soul of an Artist: The Works of Alan Morrison

By: Roger Landry (TLB) – Revisiting a great day …

Every once in a while you have a great day where everything goes well, you start the day off with your coffee being not too strong or weak … it is just right and the day continues down this path of … rightness 🙂 I had just such a day several months ago when I got to speak for the first time to who is now part of The Liberty Beacon Project’s (TLB) family as a great contributor of poetry, articles, and music. If you really listen when someone talks … you will hear their heart, and if you truly listen you can even hear their soul. This is the level of communication I had with Alan on this special day. I will not take any credit for being the most sensitive individual on planet earth (although I do try), no most of the credit for this level of communication goes to Alan.

Alan was born to communicate, verbally, via music, and even print … on any level his compassion, thoughtful respect and heart felt activism ooze to the surface in a symphony of emotion that can be mesmerizing at times … nothing like my “bull in a china cabinet” approach that is effective but not always enjoyed. Alan is a person with not only a pleasant smile and charming mannerism … but a beautiful soul. Listening to his music, hearing his lyrics, or reading his poetry, and articles, shows in a hearts beat his love, compassion, and dedication for humanity. This is why that day was so great for me … and as our relationship with Alan continues to expand daily … I am looking forward to many more “Great” days!

Here is our first TLBTV show with Alan (click on image to see article and show) …

Since that day we have published several of Alan’s outstanding articles and poems, all have elicited a lively response from the TLB Project followers and the public in general. If you have not had the time or pleasure of reading these yet … here are a few of them:

Making Sense of the World Today: Understanding Trump, Brexit and the Apparent Brokenness of Everything

Terrorism in European Cities: The Only Conclusion Is …

DYSBREXIA SYNDROME – Manipulation & Mayhem in the EU Referendum

Fear Is How You Are Controlled

The Deconstructed Bully – An Allegory for our Times

FROM IRAQ TO SYRIA (VIA LIBYA): Use of “Atrocity Propaganda” By Western Powers

Overcome By the Light: The Place & Purpose Of Darkness In This World

Why Do I Feel So Alone?

TLB Presents: Alan Morrison & The Naked Troubadour

“I’ve Tried” by Alan Morrison

Shooting Your Load: The Relationship Between Repressed Sexual Expression & War

Powder & Lies (Official Video) – By Alan Morrison

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Now we would like to shift the focus of the remainder of this presentation onto Alan’s music …

But first please let me proudly and properly introduce (for those who may not be aware of Alan) a phenomenal and respected member of the TLB Family …

TLB CONTRIBUTOR: ALAN MORRISON

About Alan: Originally from the UK, Alan is a writer, poet, songwriter, performer and occasional actor — a troubadour who could be found in any one of a number of European locations, having lived and worked in France, Sweden, Germany and Spain. There came a point in his life, shortly before the turn of the century, when he determined to live entirely from his art or starve (inspired by the central character in Knut Hamsun’s groundbreaking 1890 novel, “Hunger”). Since then, thanks to the encouraging generosity of others, he has survived and created much, having written numerous articles, published a 200-poem book, performed many concerts, worked with many musicians and created three CD albums. Now another album has been released in October 2016!!

Although Alan’s music has been described by one reviewer as a mixture of “English folk rock, progressive folk and alternative country”, it is so much more than that. Whether it is a slow ballad to tear out your heart or a more upbeat piece to shake up your mind or a ‘song of conscience’ on a controversial social issue, its aim is lyrical communication. One musician listener said: “Your music always makes me want to sing and cry!”

In March 2015, Alan designed and published an eBook containing more than 200 of his poems, entitled “Vagrant on the Hinterland of Time: Poems, Songs & Sonnets”.

Read more HERE.

In May/June 2016, Alan recorded his latest album, “The Key” at Kingside Studios, Gnesta, Sweden. This is a 14-track album with 24 musicians playing 34 instruments, including an orchestra and backing vocals. The album was released at a concert in Stockholm on 12th October in the Södra Teatern, with the same forces onstage as were in the studio.

“THE KEY” – THE VIDEO by Alan Morrison. The official animated video, displaying lyrics. This inspirational song for the downhearted, from my heart to yours, builds to a climax of orchestral & choral power to accompany the message. This is the title track from my new album, “The Key”. It has an 8-piece band plus the Stockholm Concert Orchestra, including tubular bells, timpani drums & choir. The credits are at the end of the video. Here is the essence: “For I have found that when I love, then strength will fill me from above.” Please share as widely as possible on social media. Thank you! See more here: THE KEY by Alan Morrison (Official Video) from Alan Morrison. © Alan Morrison, 2017

Alongside of his work as poet, songwriter and performer, Alan also writes many articles and is working on a didactic novel, entitled “Reluctant Angels”. Alan believes that the fulfilment of art lies in communication and he loves to interact with those who receive his work. If you wish to contact Alan, please see the contact page  on his website for further details.

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What we present to you now are two songs from Alan’s newest album “The Key”. These two songs were passed to me personally by Alan in our first discussion, one on one, as a representation of his mindset and activist spirit. They are both great and by delving deeply into the lyrics and emotion Alan displays while performing these two special songs … Alan makes it easy to see into his heart. TLB has taken these songs and put them to a visual display … we hope you like them …

FOR SOMEONE’S CHILD (description)

The true victims of war are the children maimed and killed, who those that wage war refer to as “collateral damage”. This song is a requiem for those children. The earliest version was written in April 2003 in a torrent of uncontrollable tears in the top-floor restaurant of Il Corte Inglés in Plaça de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, after a terrible fever gripped me in my soul when my lover at the time saw some photographs of the many children killed in Baghdad and exclaimed: “That’s someone’s child!” It was performed a short time afterwards with a cellist at an Amnesty International gathering in Perpignan. Ten years later I added a vocal bridge. On this album, the song (no less relevant now than it was thirteen years ago) has come of age.

Lyrics:

“That’s someone’s child”, she cried — I sighed,
his life lay broken on the ground.
The man who shot him down just smiled,
beguiled by his amazing aim.
How can you go back home to show
your face to all those lively children of your own?

He looked into the air — that stare
was where there once had been a smile.
A woman sat alone nearby
bled dry by grief and mother’s pain.
She wondered why he searched the sky
with those warm eyes she’d known so well from birth.

A shot sent to the head — instead of life
he’s buried in the earth.
They’ve dug a six-foot hole to hide
their crime so all the world won’t know.
So much to give, no more to live;
“It’s all in the name of freedom”, so they said.

I dream of fields full
of Bluebells and grain.
Flowers blow in waves on the breeze.
If we could harvest
the young who’ve been slain
they’d fill those meadows with ease.

And yet they wonder why should I
be grieved — repelled by all they’ve done.
They start a war for greed to bleed
a land — rejoicing when they’ve “won”.
Democracy is just a dream
if to create it you have to kill that child.

There’s places you can go with snow
and rain and sunshine all around.
But where that child now lay in clay
is scorched and birds don’t make a sound.
He died in vain — this war’s insane!
And the earth cries out this anthem for her child.

Credits:

Lead vocals: Alan Morrison. Drums: Fredrik Björling. Bass: Samuel Laxberg. Electric guitar: Staffan Johansson. Acoustic guitar: Alan Morrison. Hammond organ, Rhodes piano: Otto Wellton. Violins: Kristina Ebbersten, Sarah Cross. Viola: Petter Axelsson. Cello: Samuel Coppin. Glockenspiel: Magnus Einarsson. Backing vocals: Aminah Al Fakir, Linda Öst, Idde Schultz.

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TIME TO CHOOSE (description)

Increasingly, this world — with all its deception, falsehood, electronic insanity, media madness and hegemony masked as democracy — is shaping up into a straight choice between darkness and light. This is the other “wake-up” song (external). We can either acquiesce and collaborate with the darkness of this dying aeon or we can renew ourselves and celebrate the light of the new which is already shining brightly through the hearts and minds of those across the world who refuse to be polluted by endorsing a redundant order that is long due for destruction.

Lyrics:

Why… is your inner eye so firmly closed to try
to see the truth concealed behind the lie —
the tangled web which weaves itself around us (drowns us)?
Will… you look with all your heart beyond the veil?
Appearances can fool the weak and frail
in a world that’s torn apart with greed and coldness (soulless).

Will you always believe every falsehood that you’re told?
Won’t you please seek the truth? You can watch it unfold
like a flower in the Spring taking root in your soul.
May your ignorance fade and your sight be made whole…

When… our minds and thoughts are twisted by the men
who only seek to kill and to condemn,
integrity will fade and darkness reign (insane).
Words… said cunningly can take us for a ride —
mislead us so that in the great divide
we’ll find ourselves in dark instead of light (night).

It will not be too long
(my heart bleeds through this song)
till we will all be forced to make a choice.
There’s much since we were young
to which we’ve madly clung;
but now the time has come to find our voice.

When… with clever talk they make us all afraid
just so their iron rule will be obeyed
collaborators we become beside them (frightened).
How… can human beings turn to acts of war
when only friendship like a bird should soar
up through love’s blue azure in angel’s rays? (amaze).

When… will all the bitter thoughts be turned to dust —
those swords instead of thinking how to thrust
will carve a gateway through the walls between us (clean us)?
Who… is bold enough to take that tender stride —
no more to fix our frozen gaze and hide?
The future of this fallen world compels us (gels us).

Refrain

Credits:

Lead vocals: Alan Morrison. Drums: Fredrik Björling. Bass: Samuel Laxberg. Electric guitar: Staffan Johansson. Acoustic guitar: Alan Morrison. Hammond organ, Rhodes piano: Otto Wellton. Violins: Kristina Ebbersten, Sarah Cross. Viola: Petter Axelsson. Cello: Samuel Coppin.Glockenspiel: Magnus Einarsson. Backing vocals: Aminah Al Fakir, Linda Öst, Idde Schultz.

The Liberty Beacon Project (TLB) looks foward to a long and satisfying relationship with Alan and all he has to offer to both this project and all of humanity … Much more to come …

The above mentioned albums “The Key”, “Ride my Heart” and “The End of the Song”; as well as Alan’s eBook “Vagrant on the Hinterland of Time: Poems, Songs & Sonnets”, can be purchased through this website: http://www.alan-morrison.com or here: https://gumroad.com/alanmorrison. We also highly recommend you visit Alan’s newest website The Naked Troubadour.  See more articles and shows by, and about, Alan HERE

All Images, Lyrics, Videos and Audios created by Alan Morrison and presented here are subject to Copyrite laws and restrictions … © Alan Morrison, 2017

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Roger LandryAbout the Author: Roger Landry (TLB) spent about three decades of his adult life either in, or working for the military, with about two decades working directly for the Military Industrial Complex facilitating DOD contracts. His awakening to Political, Economic, and Health realities was less than seven short years ago. Since that time he has founded The Liberty Beacon Project (TLB) consisting of over a dozen proprietary global websites, media projects such as TLBTV, and partner websites across the planet. He contributes regularly to multiple forums both in and outside of TLB Project. Most of his work can be found on the TLB Flagship website TheLibertyBeacon.com

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