Miramar
by @berni1954
Skirmish: Mountain (@atornberg) Challenge: Andalusian CadenceLiner Notes
A late entry for the "Mountain" skirmish
The 11th September has been a day of ill omen for the US, for Chile and, in 1714, for Catalunya. That was the day Barcelona fell to the absolutist Spanish Monarch who proceeded to annex Catalunya and abolish all its laws and privileges.
Strangely enough, that date was chosen as Catalunya's National Day and is commemorated here every year.
This song is about the mountain above the town of Capellades and a ritual we carry out every year. I no longer live there, but I try to get up for this every year.
I hope I have captured some of the ambivalence the mountain evokes for me between optimism and despair
To give you a flavour of the events in the song below are three photos - They show (in order) the flag on top of the cross; the town itself as seen from the mountain and some of the folk gathered on the top.
Instrument: 3/4 Spanish Guitar
Lyrics
(G) Miramar is a mountain
From which they (Am) say you can see the sea
But I've (F) hiked up it a (G) hundred times
And it's (Am) never appeared to me
(Am) Every year on 9/11
We (G) clamber up its side
Loose (F) rocks and unstable pebbles
Un(E)settling our every stride
It's (Am) not to remember Twin Towers
Or the (G) day Allende fell
It's (F) simply that it's Catalunya's
(E) National Day as (Am) well
CHORUS
We (Am) gather beneath the cross
As the inde(G)pendence flag is hoist
We (F) sing the National Anthem
That's the (E) part I like the most
We'd (Am) love to see the freedom
Promised (G) in the song we sing
But we (F) know it's just a pipe dream
While Spain's (E) ruled by the Right-(Am)Wing
CHORUS
(Am) Flasks come out and breakfast is had
Over(G)looking our beloved town
(F) Gossip is shared between neighbours
Before it's (E) time to go on down
The de(Am)scent increases the danger
It's (G) such a slippery slope
But we (F) all take it very easy
Now our (E) hearts are full of (Am) hope
CHORUS
On the (Am) way down we pass the quarry
Which threatens to (G) haul the mountain away
At this (F) rate it will disappear
On some (E) not too distant day
From the (Am) valley we gaze up at the flag
Flying (G) proudly from up on the peak
But we (F) know some local fascist
Will tear it (E) down within a (Am) week
REPEAT LAST TWO LINES