Although Rovics is not strongly associated with any particular political or ideological movement, his lyrics and recorded interviews encompass a wide range of left-wing, humanitarian interests. He has suggested a commonality or synthesis between these varied ideologies in several of his radio interviews, and cites his music as a means to disseminate these ideas. His provocative and catchy lyrics bring to mind a modern-day Woody Guthrie or Phil Ochs.
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The Key
David Rovics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Known as grandma to me
She died back in 1982
She liked to tell stories
Of how things used to be
Just like other old ladies do
She talked about her neighbors
Arabs, Britons and Jews
They'd come over for dinner
In her house in Jaffa
And they'd talk about business and news
We got along fine
A long time ago
Before everything started to change
I never imagined
Back in those days
I'd end up here on this firing range
There on a string around her neck
Danging in front of her heart
The key to her home
The key to her people
The key to her world blown apart
I recall the days well
1948
The year of the Catastrophe
With machine guns and torches
They drove us away
To the land of the refugee
We all thought it would pass
But the decades dragged on
And my heart turned to flame
To those who live in my home
Where is your conscience
Do you feel the remorse and the shame
There on a string around her neck
Danging in front of her heart
The key to her home
The key to her people
The key to her world blown apart
Now after two generations
I and her grandchildren say
The key is theirs and mine
And all over the world
We cry for Al-Awda
Home in Palestine
Maybe we will prevail
But come what may
As empires fall and rise
Nothing will change
The memory
Of the tears in my grandmother's eyes
There on a string around her neck
Danging in front of her heart
The key to her home
The key to her people
The key to her world blown apart
The lyrics of "The Key" by David Rovics is an emotional account of the displacement and plight of Palestinians caused by the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. Rovics recounts the story of his grandmother, who lived in the city of Jaffa and had Muslim, Christian, Arab, Briton, and Jewish neighbors. She used to hold dinners and have conversations with her neighbors discussing business, news, and life. However, in 1948, with the establishment of Israel, his grandmother was forced to leave her home and became a refugee. She carried the key to her home around her neck, which symbolizes her hope and dream to return to her homeland one day.
Rovics uses his grandmother's story to highlight the tragedy of the Palestinian people, who have been living around the world as refugees for generations. He talks about the memory and the tears in his grandmother's eyes, showing the pain and sorrow that Palestinians go through. The line "Where is your conscience? Do you feel the remorse and shame?" is a plea for those Israelis who are occupying Palestinian lands and causing immense pain and hardship to them to reflect on their actions and take responsibility for their part in causing the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people.
Overall, "The Key" is a poignant call for peace and coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. It highlights the common humanity that unites us all and underlines the importance of empathy, compassion, and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me tell you about a lady
The singer is introducing a lady he knew, who he called grandma.
Known as grandma to me
The lady the singer is talking about was known to him as grandma.
She died back in 1982
The lady the singer is talking about passed away in the year 1982.
She liked to tell stories
Grandma enjoyed telling stories.
Of how things used to be
Grandma liked to reminisce about the past.
Just like other old ladies do
Grandma's habit of telling stories about the past was not unusual.
She talked about her neighbors
The subject of grandma's stories were her neighbors.
Muslims and Christians
Grandma's neighbors included both Muslims and Christians.
Arabs, Britons and Jews
Grandma's neighbors also had people from different nationalities namely Arabs, Britons, and Jews.
They'd come over for dinner
Grandma would invite her neighbors over for dinner.
In her house in Jaffa
Grandma's house was located in Jaffa.
And they'd talk about business and news
During dinner, grandma and her neighbors would talk about business and current events.
We got along fine
The singer and his / her family had a good relationship with grandma.
A long time ago
This was a long time ago in the past.
Before everything started to change
This was before a significant event happened that brought changes to their lives.
I never imagined
The artist did not foresee what was going to happen in the future.
Back in those days
Refers to the period of time when everything was good before the significant event happened.
I'd end up here on this firing range
The singer finds himself / herself in a dangerous situation, being shot at.
There on a string around her neck
Grandma wore a key around her neck.
Dangling in front of her heart
The key was hanging from grandma's neck and resting on her chest.
The key to her home
The key grandma wore around her neck was the key to her house.
The key to her people
The house grandma lived in was where her people, her community, lived.
The key to her world blown apart
The singer is referring to the devastating event that destroyed grandma's peace and way of life.
I recall the days well
The artist remembers the days referred to in the following lines of the song.
1948
The year Palestine became a state of Israel.
The year of the Catastrophe
The singer is referring to the events around 1948 which led to the forced migration of many Palestinians.
With machine guns and torches
The singer is referring to the violence they experienced during the conflict.
They drove us away
The artist's family and community were forced to leave their homes.
To the land of the refugee
The artist and his family became refugees in a foreign land after being forced to flee their home.
We all thought it would pass
Initially, the singer and his / her community expected the conflict to end quickly.
But the decades dragged on
Unfortunately, the conflict continued for decades.
And my heart turned to flame
The artist's emotions became inflamed due to the ongoing conflict.
To those who live in my home
The artist feels a sense of ownership towards his/her homeland.
Where is your conscience
The artist is asking his / her oppressors to question their values and morals.
Do you feel the remorse and the shame
The singer is asking his / her oppressors if they feel sorry for their actions.
Now after two generations
Two generations have passed since the events following 1948.
I and her grandchildren say
The singer is joined by grandma's grandchildren in continuing to fight for what is right.
The key is theirs and mine
The community both past and present claims ownership to the land.
And all over the world
People are united in their fight for justice.
We cry for Al-Awda
Al-Awda is a term used by Palestinians to refer to their right of return to their homeland.
Home in Palestine
The end goal is to have their homes returned to them in Palestine.
Maybe we will prevail
There is hope that they will succeed in their fight for justice.
But come what may
Regardless of what happens, they will continue to fight for what is right.
As empires fall and rise
History shows that empires come and go, but the struggle for freedom continues.
Nothing will change
Regardless of what happens, the artist's memories and the history of his / her people will remain.
The memory
The events that occurred following 1948 will be remembered by future generations.
Of the tears in my grandmother's eyes
Grandma's tears serve as a reminder of the tragedy and hardships her family and community faced.
There on a string around her neck
This line is a repeat of a previous line and is referring to the same key grandma wore around her neck.
Dangling in front of her heart
This line is a repeat of a previous line and is referring to the same way in which the key was hanging from grandma's neck.
The key to her home
This line is a repeat of a previous line and is referring to the same key grandma wore around her neck.
The key to her people
This line is a repeat of a previous line and is referring to the same idea of the house representing the community.
The key to her world blown apart
This line is a repeat of a previous line, but it serves to remind the listener of the devastation brought upon the artist's community.
Contributed by Ian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.