Cradle of Civilisation Lowkey (Ft. Mai Khalil)

[Intro: Lowkey]
I remember when I was growing up, if my mother got angry or frustrated with me, she'd say "oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya"
And the basic translation of that is "Oh, how beautiful is freedom"
But where is freedom?

[Hook: Mai Khalil & Lowkey]
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
Oh, esh ked heluwa el hurriya
But where is our freedom?

[Verse 1: Lowkey]
This is for Baghdad, the place of my mothers birth
The cradle of civilisation, for what it’s worth
The land I’ve never seen, culture I’ve never known
Iraq is in my heart, my blood, my flesh and bones
The air I’ve never breathed, fragrance I’ve never smelt
The pride I never had, the nationality that I never felt
Saddam was bad, are the American’s even more so?
They made me groan like I was missing part of my torso
But I never picked up a grenade in my garden
I never saw people I love die starving
I never saw my family die through many years of sanctions
While the ruler’s family lived in palaces and mansions
I never had a family member kidnapped for a ransom
I never lost a friend to violence that was random
Bombings, occupation, torture, intimidation
A million dead people doesn’t equal liberation