Song of the Olive Tree
On the album, Turning Silence Into Song, this number is read by Liz Mansfield, to Fiz Shapur's piano. The presence of a female vocalist seems to give it more force, as she unfolds the story of her olive tree, planted by her great-grandfather, and cherished by her during her childhood. This is Palestine, however, and the land is taken with the tree dug up by the Israeli settlers and sold for $5,000 - while all the other olive trees in the vicinity are simply demolished.
Leon has said several times that his songwriting is underpinned by the idea of turning the political into the personal, and vice versa. Here we have the major political issue of our time painted out into a story of personal loss - small on the scale of things, but profound and meaningful. The only song on Turning Silence Into Song to have its lyrics printed in full, "Song of the Olive Tree" stands as one of his major latter-day works.
The song was recorded again on three occasions, most recently for the 2012 double CD, Celebrating Subversion where it was ushered in with a lengthy instrumental piece. The lead vocal is by the English-born Palestinian, Reem Kelani, with Leon harmonising some sections. Before that, a solo rendition by Leon was captured on film, and then released on DVD in 2014.
Leon has said several times that his songwriting is underpinned by the idea of turning the political into the personal, and vice versa. Here we have the major political issue of our time painted out into a story of personal loss - small on the scale of things, but profound and meaningful. The only song on Turning Silence Into Song to have its lyrics printed in full, "Song of the Olive Tree" stands as one of his major latter-day works.
The song was recorded again on three occasions, most recently for the 2012 double CD, Celebrating Subversion where it was ushered in with a lengthy instrumental piece. The lead vocal is by the English-born Palestinian, Reem Kelani, with Leon harmonising some sections. Before that, a solo rendition by Leon was captured on film, and then released on DVD in 2014.
"Hundreds of thousands of olive trees have been uprooted since the beginning of the second Intifada in order to build Jewish-only roads or to expand the illegal settlements or as collective punishments or to build the infamous apartheid wall. The story told in this song has happened many times over." - LR (Turning Silence Into Song (sleevenotes), 2004)
Recordings
Version 1 (2004) Liz Mansfield and Fiz Shapur; Leon does not appear.
Cover version (2005) By Janet Russell
Version 2 (2012) Re-recording with Reem Kelani on vocals alongside Leon, on a various artists protest album.
Version 3 (2011) Live performance, released in 2014
- Turning Silence Into Song
- The Last Chance (Extended EP)
Cover version (2005) By Janet Russell
Version 2 (2012) Re-recording with Reem Kelani on vocals alongside Leon, on a various artists protest album.
- Celebrating Subversion
Version 3 (2011) Live performance, released in 2014