Folk Song For George Floyd (Minneapolis Weeps)

by Jim Walsh & The Dog Day Cicadas

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about

This is a song I wrote the night of May 27th as Lake Street burned in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis police. In the weeks since, countless paintings and murals have sprung up in our neighborhood and around the world. This is my mural.

Writing a song is sometimes like taking a photograph of an emotion, and I needed something like a prayer to sing. The “weeps” part of the tune does that for me, as it did that night, singing over the sound of sirens, and holding close that emotion of sorrow and rage.

I recorded it with my friend Dan Kowalke in his home studio this week. In addition to producing and engineering the track, Dan added beautiful guitar work. My friend Joe Fahey created the beautiful cover art (photo by me, from the 38th & Chicago memorial in Minneapolis).

It's available as a free download via bandcamp until July 1, then proceeds go to Foothold Twin Cities, the Gianna Floyd Fund, and Black Lives Matter Minneapolis.

Thanks for listening, and for weeping/singing along.

lyrics

“Folk Song For George Floyd (Minneapolis Weeps)”

Folk song for George Floyd who died with his hands behind his back
Handcuffed and crying out for his mama, dead
Just because he was Black

Folk song for Philando Castile, whose girlfriend filmed the whole attack
That racist cop got away with murder
Just because Mr. Phil was Black

And Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
No justice no peace
Minneapolis weeps
Tonight

Folk song for Ahmaud Arbery, who went out for a run and never came back
Gunned down by some racist hicks
Just because he was Black
Folk song for Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee and taking a stand
The president of the United States called him a son of a bitch
Just because he was Black

And Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
No justice no peace
Minneapolis weeps
Tonight

Folk song for Harry Stafford, who in 1898 if you go back
He was the first
Killed by a Minneapolis cop
At a traffic stop
Just because he was Black

Folk song for George Floyd, but yeah it goes way way back
Past Breonna Taylor past Jamar Clark
Say their names
Way before that

And Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
No justice no peace
Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
Minneapolis weeps
Tonight
Tonight
More justice
More peace
Tonight

credits

released June 13, 2020
Jim Walsh: guitar and vocals
Dan Kowalke: guitar
Recorded and produced by Dan Kowalke

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about

Jim Walsh & The Dog Day Cicadas Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jim Walsh is a songwriter, journalist, and author from Minneapolis.The former leader of REMs, Laughing Stock, the Mad Ripple and the Mad Ripple Hootenanny, The Dog Day Cicadas is Walsh's main passion play of the day

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