Words by the Canadian poet and activist Frank Scott (1899-1985), set to music by Leonard Cohen and sung by him, with Anjani Thomas, on his album ‘Dear Heather” (2004). Scott’s politics weren’t ours. Yet he expressed a feeling that made me think he wanted the same thing as we do. But he, and other social-democrats, need some more “bitter searching of the heart”…
Sander
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From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.
This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart.
We loved the easy and the smart,
But now, with keener hand and brain,
We rise to play a greater part.
The lesser loyalties depart,
And neither race nor creed remain
From bitter searching of the heart.
Not steering by the venal chart
That tricked the mass for private gain,
We rise to play a greater part.
Reshaping narrow law and art
Whose symbols are the millions slain,
From bitter searching of the heart
We rise to play a greater part.
