The full title for this song, as some of you may have seen on YouTube, is "Sur la terre des hommes libres" (Fr.: In the land of the free). I wrote this four years ago, when I underwent National Service, a year before coming to the UK.

The song started on paper, and when I had returned from National Service, I proceeded to play it on the piano and record it with the only means I had at the time: a cell phone mic. Then it was given a first remake when I had just picked up FL Studio. Then last year, it was given a second remake. Now finally, with a proper mic in my stash, I have decided to give this song a THIRD remake.

The timing couldn't be better for the remake: some of my former schoolmates have been reaped for National Service and are making their way to the camps to which they have been assigned. I wrote this song in contemplation of whatever could happen in those camps: even though they were a very tiny minority, some people were sent to the training camps only to have very scarring experiences, and some were sent there never to return home alive. I realised that these possibilities were real.

By the way: going accent-less for the lyrics, because sometimes NG supports accents and sometimes, it does not.

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LYRICS:

Sur la terre des hommes libres, le soleil se leve
Et la-haut j'apercois des reves
Je me releve et j'ouvre mes pas
Mes yeux se fixent sur l'au-dela

Sur la terre des hommes libres, je regarde le ciel
Je me dis que la vie est belle
Je prends le large et je garde mon sourire
Puis-je defier l'avenir ?

Lentement j'avance, j'affronte mon destin
Je souhaite oublier mon chagrin
La lumiere au milieu du noir
Brillera-t-elle dans mon coeur ce soir ?

TRANSLATION:

In the land of the free, the sun rises,
And up above, I see dreams
I get up and I begin walking
My eyes are fixed on what lies beyond

In the land of the free, I look up to the sky,
I tell myself that life is beautiful
I go forth and I keep my smile
Will I be able to defy the future?

Slowly I advance, I face my destiny,
I wish to forget my chagrin
The light in the middle of the darkness
Will it shine in my heart tonight?

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All music done on FL Studio 10.
All vocals done on Audacity with a Samson Go mic (thank you, TheZaaL, for recommending it to me!).

Used in this project:

Akai-Steinway III soundfont, by Denis.
https://www.polyphone-soundfonts.com/en/files/10-pianos/303-akai-steinway-iii

Tubular Bells by Sonido media.
https://www.polyphone-soundfonts.com/en/files/23-melodic-percussion/269-tubular-bells