Music from Swedish Group Yellow Express: “Stop the Persecution”

Editor’s note: Yellow Express is an acoustic group with eight members, founded in Sweden at the beginning of this year. In the process of making their first album, many people were deeply impressed by the peacefulness and kindness of the performers and musicians. At their debut gig in Geneva, their righteous manner and graceful voice won them a long round of tumultuous applause. Here are the lyrics of their first song “Walk On”, and a letter written by the composer and singer of this piece that is included in the album sleeve.

Download and on-line listening at www.mp3.com/yellowexpress

Dear Audience:

During my three trips to China (1996 to 1999) I met many Chinese Falun Gong practitioners. Their pure minds and unselfish behaviour made a very strong impression on me. After the persecution of Falun Gong started I often wondered what happened to the friends that I’d met. Have they suffered from torture? Are they still alive? Why are such good people being persecuted? I just could not understand. A man I met on every trip to China was Lin Chengtao, a successful scientist in Beijing. He has now been mentally disabled as a result of intense torture in Tuanhe Labour Camp, Beijing. This case is however only one of many.

Why this persecution? It’s all because of one man’s jealousy. Jiang Zemin (sued for genocide in the USA) couldn’t stand the popularity of Falun Gong so he initiated this campaign in 1999. Many Chinese people were fooled by his Nazi style propaganda about Falun Gong.

In the song “Walk On!” I am trying to reach you, who is reading this right now. I hope you can understand the severity, urgency and extent of this persecution. It is aimed at 100 million people! Falun Gong practitioners suffer mental and physical torture, brainwashing, and sexual abuse. They are disfigured with wooden batons and electric cattle prods. When they protest this barbaric treatment, they are force-fed with toxic liquids; even those mixed with human faeces and urine.

The absurdity in all this is that Falun Gong practitioners’ main goal in life is to become a better and a healthier person, and follow the principles of Falun Gong: Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. Isn’t this in fact what this chaotic world needs today?

Anders Eriksson, singer/songwriter in Yellow Express

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LYRICS:

“Walk On“

They put my wife into prison. They beat her up until she went insane.
It reminds me of the time way back then, of all the sorrows, and so much pain.

I can see Yellow River is turning to red. So many tortured and thousands are dead.

Chorus
Some worn out shoes. That's all I own. And I've been walking all night long.
China, what’s gone wrong? Yeah I wonder what's gone wrong.

The road is long to Tiananmen Square, but I don’t mind I will make it there.
And tell the whole wide world our leader’s wrong in persecuting Falun Gong

Well the Tai Shan Mountain, is shedding it’s tears.
Seen so much violence for thousands of years

Chorus
Some worn out shoes. That's all I own. And I've been walking all night long.
China, what’s gone wrong? Yeah I wonder what's gone wrong.
Walk on, walk on! People, wake up from the illusion!
Walk on, walk on, walk on! Stop the persecution!

Read in Chinese
As one body we have been walking thousands and thousands of miles. We have been walking through the major cities in the world. We have been walking for our freedom and for our human rights.

We have been walking to Beijing and to Tiananmen Square. We have stood up for Zhen Shan Ren. For that we have been punished.

But we will never give up. We will keep on walking until the persecution is over. Stop the persecution!

Chorus
Walk on, walk on! People, wake up from the illusion!
Walk on, walk on, walk on! Stop the persecution!

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200303/18795.html