Yusuf Islam: "After the world shattering tsunami tragedy of South Asia earlier this year and seeing the unforgettable destruction wrought upon the unsuspecting people of the region, it's not hard to imagine the sheer chaos, sadness and suffering that the residents of Greater New Orleans and the surrounding area are going through at this time in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Many unfortunate people have had their lives tragically and suddenly washed away whilst those that survived are frantically searching for missing loved ones. Our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to everyone who has experienced loss of family, of home, and livelihood as a result of this calamity. It seems that conflict and natural disasters are occurring around the world in ever greater frequency with a more lasting impact. Only yesterday a stampede in Iraq claimed upwards of a thousand lives with hospital morgues overflowing with unidentified victims. We all share a responsibility to try and do whatever we can, however little, to help every victim recover from such devastating events and rebuild for the future - God willing."
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LYRICS, Indian Ocean, Yusuf Islam
It was a cold day in London,
Dark clouds rumbling,
Grabbed the yellow pages under the bed,
I noticed an ad it said,
'Indian Summer', '10 Days of Wonder',
'Paradise is yours for £50!'
I thought to myself, 'That's it!'
Told the wife to pack the bag,
Forget about the plans we had
"We're going east instead."
She looked at me and shakes her head.
I said, "O now baby,
I know it sounds crazy,
But this may be the only chance we get.
We only get one life to live!"
So we grabbed the kids and some body-lotion
and we went to the middle of the
Indian Ocean
Our guide was there to meet us;
Welcome sign to greet us
Ten porters stood up like a wall
Carried our bags to the hall
The custom man smiled to me
Begs so politely
"Tell me sir, have you any more?"
I looked at him and said, "that's all."
They drove us to the beach house,
I said, "Is this all ours?"
They nodded and rolled out the bed
I turned to my wife and said,
"Ooh now honey, I guess it's still sunny,
Let's all go down for a dip
Before the sun sets."
Suddenly I gazed up,
Upon the rising wave, I
Saw the sea drawn from the sand
I grabbed the wife and kids and ran.
"Please God! save us!
Please don't blame us,
For this is the only life we have;
We'll make it up if we were bad."
The wave was a-pounding as we
scrambled up the mountain
No one even dared to turn their head
Just one slip and you're dead!
As the waves were dying,
A child was crying
Searching for her mum and dad
A thin dress was all she had
She held us tight,
We looked far and wide
But nothing there...
There was nothing left
We all broke down and wept.
Then came the morning,
A New Year was born
The girl had been with us all night
My wife looked down at her and sighed:
"O my Darling! It's suddenly dawning,
But just take a look at those eyes
She must be Paradise!"
© Yusuf Islam
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Other download sites listed at OD2.com
The artist, formerly known Cat Stevens, will be awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucesterhire (U.K.) for his humanitarian efforts.
New Orleans
rebuilding efforts. Site soon to be up and running, art work will be posted for donation on this blog link.
