DID YOU TELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TAMILS?

DID YOU TELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH ABOUT THE TAMILS?
(After Sydney Carter’s song ‘When I Needed A Neighbour were you there’)

When the Tamils needed help, were you there, were you there?
When the Tamils needed help, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

They were hungry and thirsty, were you there, were you there?
They were hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

They were cold and displaced, were you there, were you there?
They were cold and displaced, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

When they needed a shelter, were you there, were you there?
When they needed a shelter, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

When they needed a healer, were you there, were you there?
When they needed a healer, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

Wherever you travel, did you tell the world the truth?
Did you speak about the suffering of the Tamils?
And the creed and the colour, and the name won't matter – you speak out!

(On behalf of the starving, shelter-less Tamils in the North East of Sri Lanka)

Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR – 23 December 2008

When I Needed a Neighbour

Original song by Sydney Carter

When I needed a neighbour were you there, were you there?
When I needed a neighbour, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

I was hungry and thirsty were you there, were you there?
I was hungry and thirsty, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

I was cold, I was naked were you there, were you there?
I was cold, I was naked, were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

When I needed a shelter were you there, were you there?
When I needed a shelter were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

When I needed a healer were you there, were you there?
When I needed a healer were you there?
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, were you there?

Wherever you travel I'll be there, I'll be there.
Wherever you travel I'll be there.
And the creed and the colour and the name won't matter, I'll be there.