Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
In like a lamb, out like a lion
Black blood on the pavement,
Nothing but silence
Heavy like war, Hector has fallen
Peace is no more, We will arise & be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
In like a lamb, out like a lion
Black blood on the pavement,
Nothing but silence
Heavy like war, Hector has fallen
Peace is no more, We will arise & be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
In like a lamb, out like a lion
Black blood on the pavement,
Nothing but silence
Heavy like war, Hector has fallen
Peace is no more, We will arise & be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
We will arise and be satisfied
Oh, we will arise
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Watch out here it comes
The last ones shall be first
The first ones shall be last
Eyes open, but you couldn’t see
That it doesn’t have to end in misery
This is no way to live
This is no way to be, this is no way to be
about
During the social and political unrest of 2020 I found myself free-styling these lyrics over a beat my friend had sent me. I was trying to write vague generic lyrics so the song could be used in tv or movies, but what came out was much more colorful, calling to mind images of the unrest I felt in my own spirit. Especially with all of the racial tension that was going on, I found it difficult to come to terms with the way my country and my people have upheld systems of injustice.
I kept thinking about how the Bible speaks over and over about the "least of these", the downtrodden, the outcast. Blessed are the meek, the poor in spirit, and those who mourn.
And so it is that the last shall be first, and the first, last. Watch out...
credits
released September 10, 2021
Written and sung by Wilder Adkins
Produced and mixed by Will Carlisle
Dulcimer by Wilder Adkins
Additional Vocal by Candace Phillips
Justin Cross is a great friend and a great songwriter to boot. This is his most recent album of original material, full of sweet melodies and thought provoking words. Enjoy! Wilder Adkins
Becca's writing is so rich, I fell in love instantly with her images and the stories she weaves here in Doxologies. One of my favorites of 2015. Wilder Adkins
Nora Brown continues to bring nuance and resonance to her modern interpretation of Appalachian folk and bluegrass on her latest LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Aug 30, 2022
West Virginia country-folk singer-songwriter Trae Sheehan aims to find a balance between the traditional and the modern on his new LP. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 29, 2020