By the waters of Babylon

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I love the straight version of this song but this is a live performance by McLean in late 1973 at the time of theYom Kippur war. His accompanying commentary presents a dark and apocalyptic concern about what the future might hold. The Soviet Union was at the height of its apparent Cold War strength, the Developing World was coming out of traumas of decolonialization, the Oil crisis was afoot, industrial pollution threatened. It was seen as a dark future.

Worth keeping in mind that estimations of risk and future developments are challenging and that joy is something we choose than something that necessarily happens.

Babylon
by Don McLean

By the waters, the waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept, and wept, for thee Zion
We remember thee, remember thee, remember thee Zion
By the waters, the waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept, and wept, for thee Zion
We remember thee, remember thee, remember thee Zion
By the waters, the waters of Babylon
We lay down and wept, and wept, for thee Zion
We remember thee, remember thee, remember thee Zion