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Two Sides of Silence Lyrics by Linton Kwesi Johnson

Bass Culture

1980

To us who were
Of necessary birth
For the earths hard
And thankless toil
Silence has no meaning
There is never a feeling
Of tranquility
Or mere quietness
Never a moment
Of soundless calm
From within or without
Our troubled selves
How can the clamor
Of sounds be stilled?
There is no void where
Noises can collect
And be made mute
Before the ring escapes
How indeed can there be silence
When our hearts beat out
A sonorous beat
Meeting the beating drums
Of an African past
When our eyes shed
Solid tears of iron blood
That falls on concrete ground
Inside our ears
Are the many wailing cries of misery
Inside our bodies
The internal bleeding
Of stifled volcanos
Inside our heads
Erupting thoughts of rebellion
How can there be calm
When the storm is yet to come?
This unending silence
Taut, impervious, unbending
Not lending an ear
To the most delicate of sounds
Awaits the blast of bombs
Which man will explode
To break this silent bond
To determine their fate
To be used to create
Hills of soft obedience
Where sweet-clothed sounds
Can rebound
And their echoes glide
Like a carefree bird
In rhythmic calm
Through a mellow
Pure, silent space
Credits
Linton Kwesi Johnson

Linton Kwesi Johnson

About “Two Sides of Silence” by Linton Kwesi Johnson

Read the complete lyrics to "Two Sides of Silence" by Linton Kwesi Johnson from the album "Bass Culture" in 1980. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Poetry, Jazz, Pop.

"Two Sides of Silence" is performed by Linton Kwesi Johnson. from the album "Bass Culture" in 1980 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Two Sides of Silence", explore more songs by Linton Kwesi Johnson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Two Sides of Silence" is credited to Linton Kwesi Johnson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Two Sides of Silence" appears on "Bass Culture" in 1980.

Visit the Linton Kwesi Johnson artist page at /artist/linton-kwesi-johnson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.