CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON
The story of the Tiananmen Square Massacre
Download Children of the Dragon.mp3 (3.8MB)
The Story
June 4, 2009 is the 20 year anniversary the Tiananmen Square student protests.
This song was written on June 4, 1989 while I was at the hunger strike on the steps of the Denver capitol building in Colorado. I was there to meet a Chinese student in Denver protesting the massacres in Tiananmen Square on June 4th, 1989, referred to in Chinese as "the June Fourth Incident".
When I arrived at the capitol I saw only one person on the steps - A Chinese student. I sat down next to him and said "Are you the only one here?" he said, "Yes", and I replied, "Well, you're not alone now."
After the first 3 days different student groups from other universities started getting involved. After the Chinese student and I left the capitol there were hundreds of other protesters on the steps.
The next day I returned to the Denver capitol building with my friend Ron Erickson, a gifted, heartfelt songwriter from Denver, who was also touched by the student's story, where we performed a short peace concert at the end of the strike. Although this song, Children of the Dragon was written and performed on the steps of the capitol in 1989, it was not recorded until 1991. The events surrounding the 2008 Beijing Olympics inspired the latest recorded version of this song.
-Lisa
The Lyrics
IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
THE CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON RISKED EVERYTHING
TO BRING AN END TO GREED AND TYRANNY
IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
THE STUDENTS IN THE SQUARE GATHERED PEACEFULLY
TO HUNGER STRIKE AND FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY
IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
A STATUE OF THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY
HELD HIGH HER FLAME OF FREEDOM FOR ALL TO SEE
BUT JUST AS MOST STARS CAN’T BE SEEN IN THE DAYLIGHT
WE SHINE OUR BRIGHTEST IN THE BLACKEST NIGHT
THE DARKNESS MAY TRY BUT CANNOT QUENCH THE LIGHT
OF THE FLAME THAT IS BURNING DEEP INSIDE
OF THE FLAME THAT IS BURNING DEEP INSIDE
IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
SCORES OF OTHERS WHO FELT THE SAME
JOINED THE STUDENT MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT MAY
BUT IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
ON THE FOURTH OF JUNE-THE SOLDIERS CAME
THOUGH MEN AND WOMEN TRIED TO BLOCK THEIR WAY
AND IN THE DARKNESS THAT REIGNED IN BEIJING
THE CHILDREN OF THE DRAGON WERE CRUSHED AND SLAIN
AS TANKS AND TROOPS BROKE THROUGH THE BARRICADES
WHILE NATIONS PLAY GAMES IN BEIJING
TIENANMEN SQUARE STILL BEARS THE STAINS
OF THE BLOOD THAT WAS SPILLED BY THE ONES THAT WERE KILLED THAT DAY
THOUGH SANCTIONS WERE PLACED ON BEIJING
THEY PLACATE BUT THEY CAN’T ERASE
THE IMAGE OF THE BOY WHO STOOD BEFORE THE TANKS
THE DARKNESS STILL REIGNS IN BEIJING
BUT THE GODDESS OF LIBERTY’S GHOST REMAINS
TO HAUNT YOUR HEARTS AS SHE WALKS THE SQUARE TODAY
BUT JUST AS MOST STARS CAN’T BE SEEN IN THE DAYLIGHT
WE SHINE OUR BRIGHTEST IN THE BLACKEST NIGHT
THE DARKNESS MAY TRY BUT CANNOT QUENCH THE LIGHT
OF THE FLAME THAT IS BURNING DEEP INSIDE
OF THE FLAME THAT IS BURNING DEEP INSIDE
SO REMEMBER TIENANMEN
REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED THEN
ON JUNE THE FOURTH 1989
LISA & GALEN
© 2009 Rankin/Hunsucker BMI
Excerpt from Wikipedia
"The movement lasted seven weeks from Hu's death on 15 April until tanks cleared Tiananmen Square on 4 June. In Beijing, the resulting military response to the protesters by the PRC government left many civilians dead or severely injured. The number of deaths is not known and many different estimates exist.[3][4] There were early reports of Chinese Red Cross sources giving a figure of 2,600 deaths, but the Chinese Red Cross has denied ever doing so.[4] The official Chinese government figure is 241 dead, including soldiers, and 7,000 wounded."
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