No Blood for Oil: Australian Voices for Peace
Various artists
Order a copy of listen to sample tracks at <http://www.indie-cds.com>

No Blood for Oil brings together a varied and interesting collection of anti-war songs from some of Australia's best independent artists.

In the CD's liner notes, project coordinator Geoff Francis explains: “As the world races toward another futile war, we believe it is time for our leaders to listen to those millions of voices who are crying out for a better solution than that offered by the prospect of yet more death and destruction. We fear that the victims of this conflict will not be those people who our governments say are our `enemies'.

“Instead, this war will be paid for with the blood of innocent men, women and children — people very much like ourselves. We are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, atheist and agnostic. We are young, we are old. We are from every state of Australia. We are farmers, office workers, housewives, students, manual workers, teachers, professional musicians... We will not be silent and accept the blood on our hands while the politicians and those whose interests they serve wage this unjust war in our name.”

Highlights of No Blood for Oil include the thought-provoking song by Peter Hicks, “Faces in the Dark”, which explores the way the victims of war are never in the spotlight, never counted.

My favourite on the compilation is Western Australian folk legend Bernard Carney's “War Song”, which is moving in its poetic condemnation of the greed of those who make war and the culpability of a corporate media that “mutters of duty and honour and love of our country”. Acoustic guitar is weaved with a cello's beautiful melody and dramatic volume.

Julie Levy's beautiful voice makes “Survivors” a pleasure to listen to, with lyrics that challenge the dehumanisation of people from “strange” parts of the world. It traces the journey of refugees fleeing to Australia from Afghanistan.

Free Spirit Placenta's “I Know Now” challenges the media spin on war and its sanitising of war's horror and destruction. The song makes the pertinent point that “the greatest threat to our world leaders is their own population”.

The Tasmanian Grass Roots Choir sings a delightful a capella song “Oh No John”, a hilarious parody of PM John Howard's and immigration minister Philip Ruddock's concern for their place in the history books. It poses questions through the eyes of those they have oppressed: “You who fled from death and terror, risked your lives to cross the sea; when your children's children gather, will they ever talk of me? Oh, no Phil, no Phil, no Phil, no!; You who bury your own children, in Palestine and in Iraq; will my name be venerated when the roll of death is marked? Oh, no John, no John, no John, no!”

John Warner's “International Cowboy” is an upbeat, punchy and engaging song, a defiant condemnation of Washington's role and motives in the war on Iraq. It accuses the US of “spinning the truth around your finger like a sheriff's gun”.

The No Blood for Oil compilation is every bit the voice of the anti-war movement, in all its diversity. It will no doubt be one of many such efforts by anti-war artists to inspire and energise the growing numbers of activists joining the anti-war movement.

Proceeds from the CD will be used to advance the interests of world peace and promote humanitarian causes.

From Green Left Weekly, April 23, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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