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Matanzas (The Unquiet Dead)

by Jamie Greer

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about

During a trip to Cuba, we took a bus trip to Havana. We passed through a town called Matanzas and the guide told us it was where the Spanish first landed and occupied the island. I asked him if any Indigenous peoples of Cuba survived, and he chuckled and said, "No, we killed them all." I then asked what Matanzas meant in English and he replied "Slaughter".

By the end of that trip, I had written a song in my head about the first landing at the town with the horrible name, and sang it repeatedly so I wouldn't forget it. I probably drove Damien Zakoor, Leah McLinden, and others mad from listening to it being sung everywhere.

When I got back to Windsor, I presented it to my band at the time, the unquiet dead, and we worked it out and added it to our live set. Sadly, we had already finished recording our debut album and it's follow-up 2-song EP, so it was placed on the backburner for the next album. I left the band before that next record was recorded, so it never got its studio treatment.

But thankfully, one night for a show at the FM Lounge, Josh Fraser (the wonderful banjo and pedal player in the band) brought his brother Robert to record the show. Robert had been studying at college for audio recording and needed experience. We obliged.

One of the songs he recorded was an early live performance of "Matanzas", the song I wrote about a misguided Conquistador who only realized what his mission was when he was forced off the boats in Cuba on that first day.

As we see the misinformation fed to the Russian soldiers in the war against Ukraine and start to face up to the accountability of how we treated our Indigenous peoples around the world, I wanted to share this song.

PS Turns out, the smug guide was wrong. The Taino people of the Caribbean are still alive and well throughout many islands. Their flag is the picture on this track.

It's a free download. I don't want to make any money. I just want you to hear it.

lyrics

The ships came in bold they were looking for gold and for conquest
They came from the East and unleashed such a beast full of unrest
The folk on the shore were unsure of them all when they saw them
But Conquistadors true ran them through through and through to be sure then

Chorus:
O Matanzas
Is that what the plan was?
So much blood before us...
So quiet the forest...
No voices to cry out...
No heathens but devout,
The Queen takes the island of crimson and white sand

I touched on the sand with my pike in my hand, helm upon me
They cried out in fear as they fell on our spears, God forgive me!
This Heaven on Earth became Hell from the birth of a cold sea
But Death rides red waves and we staved off the knaves, yay so cruelly

Chorus

Sometimes the Armada is not always right
They do what they do out of vengeance and spite
If these are your words, Your Grace, tell me they're true!
I'll do anything for my country and you!

(solo)

Habana stood tall through the midst of it all to defy us
A warrior creed but The Mighty still bleed right before us
In gold plume we ruin, rape, pillage, and doom
In vile chorus
We ravage the savages, how do we salvage? Abhor us...

credits

released December 9, 2022
Words & Music: Jamie Greer

Lead Vocals, Percussion: Jamie Greer
Co-Lead Vocals, Bass: Gary Van Lare
Guitar, Vocals: Daren Dobsky
Lead Guitar: Jesse Kustra
Banjo: Josh Fraser
Mandolin: Jason Testawich
Percussion: Loice Matuma
Percussion: Holly Brush
Drums: Louis Cooney

Recorded Live at the FM Lounge by Robert Fraser, 2012

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Jamie Greer Windsor, Ontario

Solo material by Jamie Greer, member of Vaudevillianaires, Golden Hands Before God, the unquiet dead, Magic Hall of Mirrors, Hung Jury. From Windsor, Ontario, Canada

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