“She’s getting no rest, she just failed her pregnancy test.
How’s she gonna care for a little child?
She can barely feed herself, no food’s left on the shelf.
Frustration makes her rage and scream and cry.”
I wrote Nothing Holy but the Blood for The Red Album: Pagan Voices for Reproductive Rights, to add another step on this ladder of outrage. It is a dark track, the story of a young woman suffocated by her pregnancy and desperation, with no legal way to escape having her life cruelly stolen… Because of a lack of choice forced on her by the unethical overturning of Roe versus Wade.
Like many other impoverished women, she chose death rather than a life of slavery to biology. There are no winners in this race.
The anonymous woman I wrote the song about is a combination of women whose stories mirror hers in some ways. Violated, abandoned, left by families and friends, with no place to turn. Circumstances and desperation lead to few acceptable endings.
There is no place for “the Handmaid’s Tale” in our world.
I have few words to describe the anger I felt when Roe was overturned. I have been told over the years, when the subject of abortion arose, as a man, I have no valid opinion. I should just keep quiet. After all, I am a man.
I am quiet no more.
What was done by the Supreme Court (sic) was a cruel, callous, right wing, slap in the face to all women. Bodily autonomy was lost “like tears in the rain.”
What can we do?
Support the women, the victims of this egregious travesty. Buy the Red Album. Every penny goes to support women’s reproductive rights. Find a local or national group, supporting women’s rights. Join, fight.
Get out and vote! Vote the conservatives out and demand Roe be reinstated.
I have nothing left to say… Here are my words.
“Nothing Holy but the Blood.”
“Nothing Holy But the Blood”, by Louis Garou, from “The Red Album: Pagan Voices for Reproductive Rights”
When She was just a child
Her world made Her a little wild
Her family smiled but they all pulled away
With no place left to go,
Cast out and on Her own
She was fightin’ hard, to keep the Wolves at bay.
(Chorus)
When troubles come seems like a flood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
Now She’s getting no rest
She just failed a pregnancy test
How’s She gonna care for a little child?
She can barely feed Herself
There’s no food left on the shelf
Frustration makes Her rage and scream and cry.
When troubles come seems like a flood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
Sittin’ cryin’, exhausted, broken, little girl
The law says She’s gotta bring
Another unwanted child into this world.
So, She takes another drink
The pills start to make Her think,
About all the cruelty as Her life fades away
When troubles come seems like a flood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
There ain’t nothing Holy but the Blood
You can hear (and purchase) this song here: https://theredalbum.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-holy-but-the-blood
For more information about Louis, including his collected articles here on Pagan Song, his bio, and links to Louis’ sites on the web, check out Louis’s author page here on Pagan Song.
Cover picture of woman by by M. on Unsplash
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