Blood Oranges

I didn't know the music of Tom Russell until a reader, commenting on my post about aid workers in Africa, provided the link to one of his songs about that continent, titled 'Blood Oranges'.  It was a startling, troubling song, particularly because I've met some of the Bedouin tribes in North Africa.  I can confirm from personal experience that their attitudes, as depicted in the song, are real.

The song comes from Mr. Russell's album 'Box of Visions'.  A commenter at the album's page on Amazon.com had this to say about it:

I bought Box Of Visions because it includes 'Blood Oranges', a song based on Paul Bowles' short story 'A Distant Episode'. The short story is one of the most disturbing things I've ever read, and the song manages to capture Bowles' eerie images of Moroccan "random violence/vengeance" so well that it makes me shudder every time I hear it, almost caused me to wreck the car the first time I heard it on the radio. A well crafted song should evoke emotions, and this one can certainly do that for me, goosebump city.

There's more at the link.  Scroll down to find the review.  It's also worth reading Mr. Bowles' story.  It's short, but very punchy.

I have to agree with the Amazon commenter.  This song is truly "goosebump city".  It's dark, tragic, and full of pain.  Nevertheless, the attitudes of many in Africa really are as they're portrayed in the song;  and Mr. Russell, having lived in Nigeria for a year during the Biafran War, probably experienced them for himself.  Those same attitudes towards Westerners have been on display throughout Africa for decades, most recently during events last week in South Sudan.

Here's the song.  Don't listen to it unless you're prepared to be challenged.

Haunting, chilling . . . and very true to life.

Peter