Parihaka

Parihaka                                                               Your Name:

Tim Finn, 1989

My friend, My friend, I hate to see you suffer, 

Events conspire to bring us to our knees,

My friend, my friend, you’ve taken this the wrong way, 

Rise up, defend yourself, never give in,

 Look to the sky, the spirit of Te Whiti, 

The endless tide is murmuring his name.

 I know Te Whiti will never be defeated, 

And even at the darkest hour, 

His presence will remain. 

I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka.

Te Whiti he used the language of the spirit, 

Then stood accused, the madman and his dream, 

He saw the train go roaring through the tunnel, 

He heard the voice travel on the magic wire, 

But he loved the silence of the river, 

He watched the dog piss on the cannon’s wheel.

 

I know Te Whiti will never be defeated,

And even at the darkest hour, 

His presence will remain.

 I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka. 

One day you’ll know the truth,

They can’t pull out the roots, 

Come and take me home, 

To weep for my lost brother. 

They gather still, the clouds of Taranaki, 

His children’s children wearing the white plume,

 So take me for the sins of these sad islands,

 The wave still breaks on the rock of Rouhotu.

And when you taste the salt that’s on your pudding,

And when you taste the sugar in your soup, 

Think of Te Whiti, he’ll never be defeated,

Even at the darkest hour, His presence will remain,

 I’ll sing for you a song of Parihaka,

Come to Parihaka, Weep for my lost brother, 

The spirit of nonviolence,

 Has come to fill the silence,

 Come to Parihaka. 

To understand the lyrics, you need to find meanings for the following words.. List them here:

conspire - Make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act.

defend - Resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect from harm or danger

spirit - The non-physical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul.

endless - having or seeming to have no end or limit.

murmuring -A low or indistinct continuous sound. 

defeated  - Having been beaten in a battle or other contes.

accused -A person or group of people who are charged with or on trial for a crime. 

plume - A long, soft feather or arrangement of feathers used by a bird for display or worn by a person for ornament.

sins - An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

nonviolence - The use of peaceful means, not force, to bring about political or social change.

1. Who is Tim Finn?  Brian Timothy Finn.. a NZ singer

2. Who was Te Whiti?  was a Māori spiritual leader 

3. Who do you think the ‘madman’ was?  Tim Finn or Te Whiti

4. Who heard ‘the voice travel on the magic wire’?  The madman 

5. What do you think  the ‘magic wire’ was?  the trains wires 

6. What did Te Whiti love?  when you taste the salt that’s on your pudding,

And when you taste the sugar in your soup

7. What is the significance of ‘children’s children’ wearing the white plume?  They are wearing the white feather to show the generations continue on, despite the horror of Parihaka.