Like ‘Fathers‘, which we saw earlier, ‘Blood’, from Shane Palko and Mannie T’Chawi is a stirring and moving track, with a video as equally heartfelt.
While ‘Fathers’ focused on Mannie T’Chawi, ‘Blood’ serves as a showcase for Shane Palko’s instrumental talent, showing the Pennsylvania songwriter as he plays his acoustic guitar, with a plainspoken vocal that is both sensitive and strident. His lyrics are unapologetic and at times hard to swallow.
The urgency is absolutely palpable in Palko’s lyrics, which feel like they owe a debt to Woody Guthrie. He half sings half narrates a story, singing, “the blood in my veins has got blood on its hands” – fearless and resolute he calls out all white Americans: all have benefited from slavery, from the social system that even now is racist to the core, and even if one has no direct links to it, all are culpable if they remain silent.
The music video for ‘Blood’, just like the song, is a partner piece to ‘Fathers’. Palko is seen in a barely furnished farmhouse, is face writhing in pain, illuminated by the light shining from a gun case, which also includes an African mask. His guitar hangs round his neck by a rope rather than a strap, a reminder of the horrible times that society has not yet finished repaying. Even more chilling are the interspersed clips of hunters, dating from the 1950s or thereabouts, men gathered together, their quarry unclear.
You might be forgiven for thinking that this is strictly a Shane Palko release, but Mannie T’Chawi is definitely there. He features in the video, shackled, in a barn, rattling his chains ominously, leaving us in no doubt as to the meaning of the song.
Watch ‘Blood’ below, and let us know in the comments what you think. Find out more about Shane Palko online on his official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Mannie T’Chawi meanwhile can be found on Twitter and Instagram.
