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Mr Stanley, I presume

from Before the robots told us where to go by Joe Peacock

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about

Originally released on the Before it is too late EP in June, this song is about Henry Morton Stanley, telling the darker side of his story than you may realise from a man who was famous for going in search of Dr Livingstone in Africa. I was inspired to write it by Black Lives Matter and wanting to discover more about our colonial past. Read more about it here: joeonmusic.tumblr.com/post/653249413574164480/new-ep-before-its-too-late

lyrics

Mr Stanley, I presume
you don't mind me talking about your work
For it seems you have no guilt
for all the blood that you've spilt in Africa.

Mr Stanley, I presume
that you can sleep quite well at night
For your civilising mission
you don’t have any contrition or remorse.

His childhood screwed him up
The parts he didn’t make up
He fled across the seas
From his nightmares he was never free.

Mr Stanley, I presume
Your stolen name has done you well.
Unable to tell the truth
Like Trump and Johnson, you embellished everything

Mr Stanley, I presume
King Leopold gave a handsome reward
For the Congo’s bloody regime
But how much gold will soothe your soul?

The liars never learn
As we watch our planet burn
Can we distinguish the fake
Before it is too late?

credits

from Before the robots told us where to go, released December 3, 2021
Composed and performed by Joe Peacock
Mixed and Mastered by Jake Forrester

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about

Joe Peacock Birmingham, UK

I'm a prolific singer-songwriter from Birmingham - a genre-hopping storyteller, whose music has been compared to Bowie, Blur, Costello and many others. Mostly, my songs tell stories that I find interesting and thought provoking. My music has all been recorded at home so far and all money from the digital sales of my music go into paying producers/mixing & mastering engineers. ... more

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