**GOLD CANNOT EAT** [Deep male voice, almost spoken] Come to the fire. Come. Come. Hear the earth breathe. Hear her warn us. [Low taiko pulse] I have seen brothers forget one blood. I have seen friends learn the taste of hate. One word. One flag. One lie. Strike. Strike. Strike. [Call: Ya layl!] War gathers slowly, black cloud, black prayer, a poisoned hymn in the mouths of kings. They open the gates of hell and call it victory. [Chorus] Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Wake us. Wake us. Gold cannot eat. Gold cannot drink. Gold cannot love. Gold cannot breathe. Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Wake us. Wake us. [Heavy rhythmic chant] More. More. More. Take. Take. Take. Bread for power. Water for gold. More. More. More. Take. Take. Take. A few grow fat. The many grow cold. [Call: Ei-ya! Ei-ya!] They built machines to serve human hands. Then human hands began serving machines. The screen knows the face. The number knows the name. But who knows the sorrow? Who knows the shame? [Chorus] Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Wake us. Wake us. Gold cannot eat. Gold cannot drink. Gold cannot love. Gold cannot breathe. Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Wake us. Wake us. [Instrumental break: taiko, bendir, darbuka, low male chants] [The elder speaks] A rich man asked me: “What is the price of peace?” I gave him a seed. “What is the price of life?” I gave him water. “What is the price of death?” I pointed to his shadow. Then he raised his gold. “What can this buy?” A weapon— not courage. A bed— not rest. A feast— not an end to hunger. A kingdom— not one more breath. [Single taiko strike] Remember. The river knows no border. The wind obeys no king. The dead carry no gold. The earth owns everything. [Final chorus, stronger] Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Wake us. Wake us. Gold cannot eat. Gold cannot drink. Gold cannot love. Gold cannot breathe. Mother Earth. Mother Earth. Forgive us. Forgive us. [Rhythmic chant] Drop the blade. Break the chain. Feed the child. Speak the name. Drop the blade. Break the chain. Love is not weakness. Peace is not shame. [Final colossal taiko strikes] Gold cannot eat. Gold cannot love. Gold cannot mourn us. [Whispered male voice] Mother Earth can.
