Roy Bailey: An Evening of Folk Music

看起來也許有點老態龍鍾，Roy Bailey畢竟已經75歲了，一旦拿起吉他，老先生表演可是不輸給任何人地精神飽滿，腦袋更是清楚得很，作為民謠歌手，台上機靈的反應可謂如火純青，就看他在歌曲與歌曲間的串場一方面裝老胡塗逗得大家開懷大笑，一方面調侃自己又嘲弄時事。民謠和兒歌都是簡單的旋律配上清楚且具有敘事意味的歌詞，在副歌往往用相同的詞句開頭，容易琅琅上口，Roy Bailey一步一步地讓聽眾解除尷尬，跟著他在每一首的固定位置唱個一兩句，後來還「得寸進尺」地要一起作兒歌的動作，薑是老的辣，在他的玩笑和對台下的互動的鋪排下，滿場的老老少少還真都玩得很開心，連十幾歲最難搞年紀的少男少女也非常投入，搞得手忙腳亂，笑得東倒西歪。


當然，Roy Bailey可是一直以來關注社會議題，被稱為工人階級音樂良知的左翼歌手，2006年還為了抗議英國處理以色列對黎巴嫩和巴勒斯坦議題的立場，將MBE勳章寄還政府，所以，在老先生幽默隨性的作風背後，他的音樂可是「偷渡」很多激昂進步的觀點。

“I Ain’t Afraid”是當天晚上的壓軸曲，也是唯一沒有請聽眾一起合唱的，內容說的是他對極端主義的看法，和對一切強行施壓觀點到別人身上的抗爭。

I ain't afraid of your Yahweh

I ain't afraid of your Allah

I ain't afraid of your Jesus

I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god

I ain't afraid of your churches

I ain't afraid of your temples

I ain't afraid of your praying

I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god

Rise up to your higher power

Free up from fear, it will devour you

Watch out for the ego of the hour

The ones who say they know it

Are the ones who will impose it on you

Rise up, and see a higher story

Free up from the gods of war and glory

Watch out for the threats of purgatory

The spirit of the wind wont make a killing off of sin and Satan

I aint afraid of your Bible

I aint afraid of your Torah

I aint afraid of your Koran

Dont let the letter of the law

Obscure the spirit of your love it's killing us

I aint afraid of your money

I aint afraid of your borders

I aint afraid of your choices

I aint afraid of your Sunday

I aint afraid of your Sabbath

I aint afraid of your teachers

I aint afraid of your dances

I aint afraid of your music

I aint afraid of your children

I'm afraid of what you do in the name of your god