The Wall That Stands Between

Not, as the title hints, about the notorious wall in Palestine, but about the metaphorical divide between the British, safe and privileged, and asylum-seekers who arrive with nothing, and have no basic rights. The song describes some of the horrors and suffering experienced by persons fleeing violence, with only a hope that they might eventually find a safe haven - merely to be incarcerated and brutalised on arrival, with the unwelcoming authorities intent on sending them back. The text is based on true stories which Leon encountered while reading for the background to his 2003 children's book, Home is a Place Called Nowhere, which concerns the spirited child Amina, fleeing from the type of victimisation which is often experienced by asylum-seekers in the UK.

"Anger provided the impetus for 'The Wall That Stands Between'; the image of fortress Europe and the stories I heard and read while researching a children's book, Home is a Place Called Nowhere, provided the material."  -  LR (Turning Silence Into Song, (songbook), p75)

Recordings

Version 1 (2004) 
Cover version (2005)  By Martin Carthy
Version 2 (2010)
Version 3 (2011)  Live performance, released in 2014
Vesion 4 (2017)  Filmed solo performance for YouTube


Sheet music