Charlie

from Secular by ampersandman

	/

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about

I made this song about a reportage podcast which tells the story of a 17 year old boy from Hamburg (I think). He got recruited by a group of Salafists, converted to Islam, got more and more fanatic, changed his name and finally went to Syria to join ISIS. His mother then received a brief phone call that he had fallen. The ceremony in Hamburg had to be held without a body to bury.
So this is the backstory, the song itself is about the mother's grief. Yeah, fun.
A big thank you to Amanda Kay Williams for contributing vocals. If you want to hear more of her, check: evilgrin.bandcamp.com

lyrics

You are not with me
I'm alive and I carry on
You are not with me
And the days go by
You know how it feels?
Like I still am waiting for you
You are not with me
And you won't return

Charlie
Where did it all go so wrong?
Charlie
It don't matter why you're gone
You are gone

What did I do wrong?
Were you missing anything?
What did I do wrong?
Should I've seen the signs?
Could I've changed your mind?
Oh I wish I'd even tried
What did I do wrong?
Weren't you listening?

Charlie
Where did it all go so wrong?
Charlie
It don't matter why you're gone
You are gone

I was glad for you when you said you found your god
I never thought that you would kill for him with guns
You died a hero, said the voice from Syria
But you should be living

Charlie
Where did it all go so wrong?
Charlie
It don't matter why you're gone
You are gone

credits

from Secular, released January 29, 2020
Female vocals: Amanda Kay Williams

license

some rights reserved

about

ampersandman Berlin, Germany

I put my pants on just like the rest of you -- one leg at a time. Except, once my pants are on, I make songs that no one cares about.

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