Bloody Brown Boxes

I wrote this song before I cared about the marginalised and how my country treated them. It came out as a huge surprise. I had no idea what I was talking about. Prior to this I had no interest in asylum seekers - at all. And yet somehow I ended up writing this song. 

I remember playing this song to my friend Tim. He said to me 'I think God has given you a gift for writing lyrics'. This remark stuck in my head. At the time I was in year ten and I was a lot closer to failing English than becoming a writer of sorts. Even as I look back at the original notepad document I wrote this song in, it was full of spelling mistakes and incorrect grammar. Yet still his words stuck in my head.

I'm not sure how I could have written these lyrics without giving a damn about the issue. I don't think these lyrics were a reflection of my heart at the time. I have come to realise, however, that these lyrics truly reflect God's heart.

I thought I would post these lyrics up now as there is no better time for Australia to stand up for a fair go. If these lyrics strike a chord in you, I would encourage you to do something about it. A fantastic initiative is the Welcome to Australia campaign where you can host a party showing your support for those fleeing persecution. 

Bloody Brown Boxes

Music & Lyrics by Daniel Christiansz

9 July 2007

I've been through your seas but I've not lived a life yet

Your wars have driven me off my own island

I look to you now, asking to stay

They say ‘what do you need to leave these boxes’ that

Packaged my life but couldn't fit my memories

The memories are, fading away

Package me now in your bloody brown boxes

Let me live now but I’ll die like the foxes

We are the ones that won't go away

(first repeat) The value of life crashed on the way                          

(second repeat) Forever and ever we're begging to stay

I know you’re doing fine here while I draw the line here

While you’re making boxes so many bloody boxes

These boxes those boxes forget what it costs us now

So nothings more important than self satisfaction

The glory and power that leads to corruption

As the world wastes away

Package me now in your bloody brown boxes

Let me live now but I’ll die like the foxes

We are the ones that won't go away

(first repeat) The value of life crashed on the way                          

(second repeat) Forever and ever we're begging to stay

That’s you in the corner making millions of boxes

The boxes that fuel empty lives sharp knives

Will kill us all, eventually

Millions of boxes boxing all of my family

Costs too much to make room for the memories

Of boxes and boxes and all your bloody boxes

No time for remembering that all that your doing is

Package me now in your bloody brown boxes

Let me live now but I’ll die like the foxes

We are the ones that won't go away

(first repeat) The value of life crashed on the way                          

(second repeat) Forever and ever we're begging to stay

Your brothers and sisters lie in these brown boxes

Will it ever cost too much to make millions of boxes?