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Lyrics:
Je ra, ji ra, de ji ra, de ji, ji, ji
Share the well
Share with your brother
Share the well, my friend
It takes a deeper well
To love one another
Share the well, my friend
Je ra, ji ra, de ji ra, de ji, ji, ji
Do you think the water knows
Flowing down to the mountain thaw
Finally to find repose
For any soul who cares to draw
Some kindred keepers of this earth
On their way to join the flow
Are cast aside and left to thirst
Tell me now it is not so
All God's creatures share the water hole
The blessed day the monsoon comes
And in His image we are woven
Every likeness every one
From Kashmir to Karala
Under every banyan tree
Mothers for their children cry
With empty jar and bended knee
Je ra, ji ra, ji ra, de ji ra, de ji, ji, ji
You know I've heard good people say
There's nothing I can do
That's half a world away
Well maybe you've got money
Maybe you've got time
Maybe you've got the Living Well
That ain't ever running dry
Je ra, ji ra, ji ra, de ji ra, de ji, ji, ji
words and music by Randall Goodgame
Behind the Song:
'Wells are a big deal in rural India. That's often the only place to get halfway decent water. Dalits must often wait by the well for a higher caste person to share from their jar because by strict religious custom they are 'unclean' and are forbidden to draw from the well themselves. Many Dalits wait all day and still no one gives them water. It's a big problem, and also a powerful metaphor. Christ has given me access to the Living Water of a life based on faith in Him. And there are many in this world, even right next door, who are like the Samaritan woman at the well - thirsty for the living water that will never run dry. I also have the opportunity and the responsibility to share the well. Also, the rhythm of the song and the 'je ra' melody comes from a Dalit freedom song.
Interlude interpretation speaks of the horrible conditions of the Dalits and of their slavery even after 53 years of independence, while also describing their slavery-like condition.' - Andrew Osenga (Caedmon's Call)
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