Mai Khalil - Cradle of Civilisation lyrics

[Intro] If my mother got angry or frustrated with me, she'd say..."oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya" ...and the basic translation of that is "Oh,how beautiful is freedom" But where is freedom Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying Where is our freedom? [Hook] Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya [Verse 1] This is for Baghdad, the place of my mothers birth The cradle of civilization, for what it's worth The land I've never seen, culture I've never known Iraq is in my heart, my blood, my flesh and bones The air I've never breathed, fragrance I've never smelt The pride I never had, the nationality that I never felt Saddam was bad, are the American's even more so? They made me groan like I was missing part of my torso But I never picked up a grenade in my garden I never saw people I love die starving I never saw my family die through many years of sanctions While the ruler's family lived in palaces and mansions Never had a family member kidnapped for a ransom Never lost a friend to violence that was random Bombings, occupation, torture, intimidation A million dead people doesn't equal liberation Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying Listen! Where is our freedom? [Hook] [Verse 2] Forget division based on ethnicity or religion Whether you Sunni, Shia, Kurdish or Christian Pain is still pain if you're a person that's missing We all deserve a life in this earth that we live in Is there enough words that can say How deeply Baghdad is burnin' today And it's not about pity, hands out or sympathy It's about pride, respect, honour and dignity Babies being born with deformities from uranium Those babies aren't just Iraqi, they're Mesopotamian What I view on the news is making me shiver Cause I look at the victims and see the same face in the mirror This system of division makes it harder for you and me Peace is a question, the only answer is unity So many dreams about this place that I've never seen The place my family had to leave in the 70's Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying Where is our freedom? [Hook] [Verse 3] It rains white phosphorus in Fallujah This is for those that won't live to see the future Sorry that I wasn't there, Sorry that I couldn't help I'm sorry for every tear, Sorry you've been put through hell Still I feel like an immigrant, Englishman amongst Arabs and an Arab amongst Englishmen Like I said they never gave me the culture But they did give me Kubdad Haleb,Hakaka and Dolma Ana isme Kareem Wa ohmre thalatha wa-'ishrun Umi min Baghdad, wa abuya min Dover And that's the combination that I carry on my shoulders Still I rep, till my d**h, till they k** and steal my flesh From now all the way back to Gilgamesh Such a villianized and criticized nation You will always be the cradle of civilization Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying Where is our freedom? [Hook] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me I can still feel you calling me I can still feel you calling me