Great Imperialist State
Simone White Lyrics
There's a farmer in a distant country working on the land
A hat upon his head and a shovel in his hand
Till the soil, plant the seed, wait a while, cut the leaf
And send another cup of tea to me
I'm a spoiled child of the Great Imperialist State
I cannot kill my meat nor grow the food upon my plate
I never walked a mile to the well,
when the tap runs dry, do tell
What will become of you and me
What will become of us, who will give us trust
Will you believe me, when I say I never loved profiting from your pain
That I felt shame, when I looked the other way
Woke up this morning, the revolution knocking down my door
Those capitalist pigs? No, they don't live here anymore
Slipped out the back door into my car
How far can you drive, how far
There's a farmer in a distant country working on the land
Food turned into flowers for the uptown florist stand
What you saved another paid to turn his soil into sand
The world will not deliver on demand
What will become of us, who will give us trust
Will you believe me, when I say I never loved profiting from your pain
That I felt shame, when I looked the other way
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
Simone White (born 1970 in Oahu, Hawaii) is an American singer-songwriter.
Born into a family of artists, White spent her early years moving from town to town. Her mother was a folksinger, her father a sculptor, grandma was a burlesque performer and auntie was a pop song writer. Grandfather was a poet who favored the sonnet. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, made photographs and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar. Read Full BioSimone White (born 1970 in Oahu, Hawaii) is an American singer-songwriter.
Born into a family of artists, White spent her early years moving from town to town. Her mother was a folksinger, her father a sculptor, grandma was a burlesque performer and auntie was a pop song writer. Grandfather was a poet who favored the sonnet. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, made photographs and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar.
Moving to NYC from London in 2000, White began to play music onstage. She recorded her first album with producer David Domanich and musician and friend Frank Bango. White released the album, The Sincere Recording Company Presents, in 2003 on Bango's label The Sincere Recording Company.
I Am The Man, her second album, was recorded with producer Mark Nevers, (Lambchop/Calexico/Will Oldham/Silver Jews), in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006 she was signed to the UK label Honest Jons. I Am The Man was released by Honest Jons/EMI in the UK, Japan, Italy and Holland in 2007 and released in France, Germany and the United States in 2008 through distributors Indigo and Forced Exposure. The album was a favourite with critics from MOJO and Q Magazine to the Daily Mail.
The Beep Beep Song, one of the songs from White's second album I Am The Man was used in an Audi R8 advert in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa, Sweden and was shown in the half time ad break of the Rugby World Cup Final of 2007.
In 2007 and 2008 White toured in the United Kingdom and Europe headlining and supporting various bands: Nouvelle Vague, Alela Diane, Teitur, Stephen Fretwell and Little Dragon. In 2008 she played at the festivals Greenman and WOMAD in the UK.
White was a part of Damon Albarn's critically acclaimed "Honest Jons Revue" which toured in July 2008 to the Barbican Center in London, Les Nuits Fourviere Festival in Lyon, and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. The Honest Jons Revue included the artists Tony Allen, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Damon Albarn, Kokanko Sata Doumbia, Lobi Traore, Afel Bocoum, Candi Staton, Simone White and Victoria Williams.
On 12 June 2009, White's third album, Yakiimo was released digitally, with a physical release following on 22 June 2009. This album was again released through Honest Jons in the UK.
White's albums frequently include covers of songs originally recorded by her friend and collaborator Frank Bango. Such recordings include Roses Are Not Red, Wrong About You, Worm Was Wood and Bunny In A Bunnysuit.
White currently lives in Venice, California.
White's album, Silver Silver, was released in 2012.
She released "Genuine Fake", a collection of acoustic recordings, on 8 September 2017.
Born into a family of artists, White spent her early years moving from town to town. Her mother was a folksinger, her father a sculptor, grandma was a burlesque performer and auntie was a pop song writer. Grandfather was a poet who favored the sonnet. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, made photographs and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar. Read Full BioSimone White (born 1970 in Oahu, Hawaii) is an American singer-songwriter.
Born into a family of artists, White spent her early years moving from town to town. Her mother was a folksinger, her father a sculptor, grandma was a burlesque performer and auntie was a pop song writer. Grandfather was a poet who favored the sonnet. Drawn to the arts, Simone acted in plays and films, made photographs and wrote. Needing an instrument for the songs she wrote a cappella, Simone taught herself to play guitar.
Moving to NYC from London in 2000, White began to play music onstage. She recorded her first album with producer David Domanich and musician and friend Frank Bango. White released the album, The Sincere Recording Company Presents, in 2003 on Bango's label The Sincere Recording Company.
I Am The Man, her second album, was recorded with producer Mark Nevers, (Lambchop/Calexico/Will Oldham/Silver Jews), in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2006 she was signed to the UK label Honest Jons. I Am The Man was released by Honest Jons/EMI in the UK, Japan, Italy and Holland in 2007 and released in France, Germany and the United States in 2008 through distributors Indigo and Forced Exposure. The album was a favourite with critics from MOJO and Q Magazine to the Daily Mail.
The Beep Beep Song, one of the songs from White's second album I Am The Man was used in an Audi R8 advert in the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, South Africa, Sweden and was shown in the half time ad break of the Rugby World Cup Final of 2007.
In 2007 and 2008 White toured in the United Kingdom and Europe headlining and supporting various bands: Nouvelle Vague, Alela Diane, Teitur, Stephen Fretwell and Little Dragon. In 2008 she played at the festivals Greenman and WOMAD in the UK.
White was a part of Damon Albarn's critically acclaimed "Honest Jons Revue" which toured in July 2008 to the Barbican Center in London, Les Nuits Fourviere Festival in Lyon, and the Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. The Honest Jons Revue included the artists Tony Allen, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Damon Albarn, Kokanko Sata Doumbia, Lobi Traore, Afel Bocoum, Candi Staton, Simone White and Victoria Williams.
On 12 June 2009, White's third album, Yakiimo was released digitally, with a physical release following on 22 June 2009. This album was again released through Honest Jons in the UK.
White's albums frequently include covers of songs originally recorded by her friend and collaborator Frank Bango. Such recordings include Roses Are Not Red, Wrong About You, Worm Was Wood and Bunny In A Bunnysuit.
White currently lives in Venice, California.
White's album, Silver Silver, was released in 2012.
She released "Genuine Fake", a collection of acoustic recordings, on 8 September 2017.
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Wild Alchemical Spirit
I don't know how she can perform this song without crying. Years later, I still cry listening to it. š
NicosNicosNicosNicos
@cabernet5 I'm glad you appreciated the music.Turning an equally generous ear to the lyrics can help pick out references to economies dependent on 'first world' markets to the detriment of the local population.No industrialisation,dependence on imports for food because the whole economy is geared towards tea,coffee,bauxite etc, inherent instability being vulnerable to the whims of the market, Simone further mentions how sustainability is sacrificed. It's not a protest against employment,no.
Yo Soy MaĆz
We hope you and your family are doing well in these times.
You are invited to Radio Maiz anytime.
Saludos amiga bonita.
werich1
So it's a story about the fortune to be born in a 1st world country and the question for arising responsibility.
Alex Gabriel
its a little difficult knowing anything about economics to listen to this song... she seems to be critical of the very division of labor that allows the tea farmer in that "distant country" to sell to her and make a living. but then again, she seems to have fallen into the marxian mind trap, shame, its good music.
werich1
The problem in my opinion is, that the 1st world economy bloom on the shoulders of the less developed countries. would there be a real fair market without protective duties and with equally educated participants - i would feel much less guilty. You know - I woke up this morning with this song and noticed the lyrics for the first time, and it made me choke. regards...
NicosNicosNicosNicos
@cabernet5 de-industrialization?No,on the contrary,if these countries could break away from their role as mere suppliers of raw materials and industrialise,it would be a different story. "ASK the third world tea farmer,i think he rather likes it that she buys his tea" Farmers are certainly glad that their crops are bought but there are some aspects of being "third world" that are undesirable, and a lot can have to do with one's economy being at risk of collapse every time world tea prices drop.
Alex Gabriel
@cabernet5 and another thing, sustainability, in the face of the current and projected size of the earth's population can be best achieved by technological innovation in the field of recycling, renewal, and low impact technology. I would hate for the third world to be subject to forced de-industrialization... just so a few pale faced ideologues in wealthy countries could feel morally righteous.
Alex Gabriel
@werich1 there is no moral reason why you should feel guilty for being able to get more wealth for less physical labor than others elsewhere in the world. This 1st world economy determines that the work of a web developer is more valuable than the tea-grower, comparatively. Is it the web developer's fault that the market determined this? Eventually, with the money he makes selling tea to Simone White he will be able to send his kids of to college to become web developers;)
Alex Gabriel
@NicosNicosNicosNicos the cash crop economy is a viable way of economic growth for developing states. having the money for imports is a result of the income earned from cash crops. "inherent instability" and bieng prey to "the whims of the market" are rather unsubstantial objections to the greater real wages and profit earned from raising cash crops rather than produce. simone should actually ASK the third world tea farmer, i think he rather likes it that she buys his tea.