Barabbas

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David Olney

David Charles Olney (born March 23, 1948 in Providence, Rhode Island) is an American folk singer/songwriter. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but did not graduate, instead joining Bland Simpson's band Simpson (band) in the early 1970s. He moved to Nashville in 1973 and formed the band The X-Rays, which gained a reputation during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Since then, he has performed as a solo singer/songwriter. His songs have been covered by Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, and Laurie Lewis, among others. One of his most popular songs is called "Wait Here For the Cops," in which his partner, Sergio Webb, convincingly imitates a police siren on the guitar. more »

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Some work and slave for all of their days 
And they'll do anything whatever it pays 
Some of us search and we find other ways 
Me, I turned to thieving 
A little bit here and a little bit there 
Always some danger but i didn't care 
As long as I felt I was getting my share 
That's all I ever believed in 

From the day I was born I understood 
One way or another I'd wind up no good 
One night I got caught, always knew that I would 
The charges were robbery and murder 
I broke into a house for money and jewels 
Some old man tried to stop me, poor misguided fool 
I killed him and left him in his own bloody pool
I ran but was caught by the soldiers 

They bound me and beat me and put me on trial
It was all cut and dried, it took a short while
"Have you anything to say?" I only smiled 
And said, "Judge, let's get this over." 
I was led from the courtroom and back to my cell 
For a man 'bout to die I was taking it well 
With no hope of heaven and no fear of hell 
Only silence and darkness forever 

I awoke from a dream in the middle of the night 
The door burst open and in streamed the light 
A man was thrown in more dead than alive 
On his face I could see the blood glisten 
I could tell at a glance he'd been beat black and blue 
He lay their unconscious but then he came to 
I said, "Tell me, friend, what on earth did you do." 
He said, "I told them but they wouldn't listen." 

Told them what?" I asked but he didn't speak again 
He just lay there quiet in his blood and his pain 
The morning broke, it was starting to rain 
The guards come in and they got us 
Out to the courtyard in the cool morning air 
A crowd was waiting. Why were they there? 
Two small-time losers, what did they care? 
I'd have thought they'd already forgot us 

The next thing I heard was the governor's own voice 
He raised up his hands and the mob ceased its noise 
"According to custom I'm giving you the choice 
Which of these men should I pardon?" 
The mob went crazy and cried out my name 
Shouting, "Give us Barabas!" again and again 
The governor sighed and said, "My hands are clean." 
The mob shouted, "Give us Barabas!" 

But what kind of freedom is this that is mine? 
To spend all my days in search of a sign 
To have my life saved and to never know why 
To owe such a debt to a stranger
I will go with the wind to a far distant land
I will not cease my wandering til I understand
I will tell everyone, every woman and man 
Of the strange things I have beheld here 
Of the strange things I have beheld here 

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