Category: Videos

Occupy Oakland Tribute
“Build Our Occupation” written by Jazz poet Raymond Nat Turner to the classic song “Just My Imagination”
with Vukani Mawethu and the Plymouth Choir; music by David Sturdevant.
Recorded at Oakland’s Plymouth Church of Jazz & Justice on 11/2/11 the day that Oakland was shut down.

Build Our Occupations (Resisting Lords Of Greed)
Raymond Nat Turner

Original Words and Music By Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
“Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)”

Oooh-Oooh, oooh—oooh

Each day is a victory, watching weeks passing by
Resisting enslavement and war, do or die
To see a time like this is truly a dream come true
Sweeping all the cities in the world and D.C, too

That’s why we build our occupations
Resisting lords of greed
We build our occupations
Fighting, with word and deed

Oooh-Oooh, oooh

Soon, we’ll organize fighters away from TV (Oh, yeah)
Organizing assemblies where the Ninety- Nine Percent agree
We tell you we will organize it (B Vocal: Organize it!)
This isn’t a dream, (B Vocal: No dream!) or scheme to vote off steam

That’s why we trust our occupations (Once again)
Resisting lords of greed
(Tell you that) We trust our occupations
Fighting with word and deed

Every night we meet in GA
Baby steps… to a New Day
We’ll never let thugs
Club our dreams away
Though they will surely try

Um, hm, Their deeds are Dastardly
When their nets enfold us
Exposing crass hypocrisy, jackboot democracy
Ten thousand photos showing—

Trust our occupations (Once again)
Resisting lords of greed
(Oh, tell you) To trust our occupations
Fighting, word and deed—

(Repeat/ fade)

We’ll never get it, if we don’t upset it…

Raymond Nat Turner © 2011 All Rights Reserved