Statistics (single)

by Tariq Anwar

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I am a Brown man. I was born in Ottawa. I've lived here my whole life. I know racism. What I do not know is what it's like to live with a constant target on my back. I do not know what it's like to be systemically brutalized by the structures in place that are purported to be there for my protection. I do not know what it's like to feel fear walking down a sidewalk or buying a carton of milk.

I know racism. My family know racism. Our origins show the deep scars of colonialism. We have lived with racism in Canada our whole lives. We have lived with it in our travels. But this is not the same thing. This is genocide. An entire culture has had to bear the weight of its own destruction for hundreds of years. I would not presume to understand how that feels.

So I wrote this tune as an observer. I wrote it after spending too many hours watching and reading the news. I've never written something so quickly nor have I ever felt such an urgency to share my own work.

Songwriters write about what they see and hear and I like to take my time when it comes to words. But things are moving too quickly to process and I had to get this out of me now. I wanted to express it while it was still raw.

lyrics

They murdered George with a knee to his neck
Grocery store clerk screamed "well he wrote a bad cheque"
The cops ignored his cries for one last breath
Tell the world "that's another one dead"

Regis fell from the 24th floor
Cops said "don't look at us, we played no role"
But her mama cried "policeman pushed my baby down to the deck"
Tell the world "That's another one dead"

Ahmaud was just out for a run
He couldn't even see the size of the shotgun
The good ole boys figured he'd stolen some bread
They pulled the trigger, boom boom boom

"That's another one dead"

credits

released May 30, 2020
Written and recorded by Tariq Anwar
Soundclips taken from various news clips.

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Tariq Anwar Ottawa, Ontario

Born & raised in Ottawa, Tariq Anwar's style blends some genres and dips into others. Known mostly as a solo blues and folk- inspired musician, he has recently begun experimenting with a variety of instruments and collaborating with other Ottawa musicians. Forever on the search for a new sound, his own style is not easily defined and he would prefer to keep it that way. ... more

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