‘Not another love song’, I hear you cry. So, this is my first attempt to write a ‘political or protest song’, following in the wake of songs like Blowing in the Wind, Give peace a chance, What's going on and War by Edwin Starr, with the famous line ‘what is it good for, absolutely nothing !’

This song was prompted by a  comment from the local Mayor in Calais, who claimed migrants were willing to risk all to reach their ‘El Dorado’ in the UK.

There are about 280m international migrants worldwide, i.e. people escaping poverty and persecution) from well over 100 countries. 120,000 people have made it across the English Channel ( since 2018) with 60-100 deaths

Of course, it’s now a topic of fierce political debate, not least in the UK, for both legal and illegal immigrants.

My song is from the perspective of desperate people in a boat in a storm in the cold and the dark. It touches on political issues, but its mainly about ‘ a tragic, end of life night mare’. The man’s wife and a baby boy both die, when the boat overturns.Alas, I offer no solution to the overall problem

The story of the song starts with people making the leap, to reach their El Dorado, before following them in their journey across the English Channel  ( or any other stretch of water around the world)

The boat is overcrowded, the sea is rough, its black and cold and they are barely afloat.They are just waiting for the engine to cut out, whilst brutal gangs are recruiting, the next boat load.The boat overturns, whilst emotions erupt in the news about even more boat people arriving.

The water was eight degrees and wild. The man’s  wife and a new born baby are lost at sea.The man ‘wished he had cried more, when he heard about the baby boy.’ More political debate and people playing the blame game. In the meantime, coastguards continue to search.

I went for a dark, moody, atmospheric song,  making a lyric video with lots of  images bended into a colour crush style.I compare the people in the boat with brutal gangs and political debates.

The song it about desperation , about a hopeless situation faced by our fellow human beings. The songs builds up gradually.The mood is one of chaos, about being in a boat at midnight in a storm

A blues electric guitar gave the song a depth of feeling in  a harrowing lament. It’s about desperation and lost hope. The song’s chorus says it all ‘Brutal gangs, midnight flares. A tragic, end-of-life night mare.’

The song ends with  heartbreaking statement ‘ Coastguard continues to search. Lost souls, lay dead in the church, A tragic, end-of-life night mare’. Any yes, it continues night after night in the cold and the dark