Produced by Soundbaker Perth WA
Instrumentation: Rob Agostini, Perth WA
Vocals: Dawn Barrington
“He’s My Brother” is dedicated to all my brothers who have been detained for so long and to all my beautiful new friends across Australia who share the common bond of compassion and a fervent passion to end this dreadful policy. 

He’s my brother is a heartfelt acknowledgement of all those who arrived on the shores of Australia by boat from 2012 to 2013. They fled from their homeland seeking safety somewhere safe but little did they know that the rules changed for all boat arrivals. Recognised as refugees they were exiled to offshore processing centres and abandoned, stripped of their humanity, demeaned and told they would never ever come to Australia. 

I am one of the 1000s of people across Australia who have been fighting for their release and for a change in the rules so that they can call Australia home too. I like many other compassionate and caring people have gained so much more than imagined as a result of this joint struggle for justice. The refugees have become brothers, sisters and dear friends to many of us who care deeply about the rights of some of the most vulnerable people in the world.

I had the privilege of sharing my home with some of my new brothers upon their release earlier this year and this song was written during the time that Ahmad stayed with me. Thank you Ahmad for trusting me to guide support and be with you during your first months of Freedom

He's My Brother

Dawn visited the refugees who had been exiled to Manus Island by the Australian Government in 2013. This song is a testament to her time there and her time protesting throughout the years that followed. The refugees told her that amid the horrors of their time in the harsh environment of the Manus prison they could always depend on one thing, and that was that the sun would rise each morning.
Dawn has protested every week for their release from indefinite detention, since December 2017. The first two and half years were on the street in her then home town of Denmark WA then at her new home in Fremantle WA. When she got backlash from members of the community about her loyalty to the refugees. Her response was  "I would do the same for you" and so the chorus goes...."I would do the same for you, I would pledge my soul for your freedom my friend."

Pledge My Soul - New Releaes

This song is a response to the Anzac commemorations that occur every year during April in Australia; the movies, stories, events based around the diggers who fought in the wars.  My intention was to highlight the “Women of War” the ones left behind to hold “the fort”, work in the munitions factories and on the land etc.  The ones who had to evacuate their kids far away from.
Recorded and Mixed by Toby Flockart Walker.
Guitar, slide guitar, drums, bass and backing vocals by Tony King
Mastered by Al Smith at Bergerk! studio, WA
Recorded in "The GSIT dungeon" in Denmark WA

Women of War (the real thing :O)  )

I was riding my bike along the river in sunny Denmark Town in WA and I had an imaginary conversation with myself (as you do) about telling my husband about how if I had known he was coming into town I would have waited and we could have had coffee, it was a very calm boring conversation and had no angst attached to it and yet once I had finished putting the words to the song it became this :0)

Recorded and mixed by Peter Renzullo, Scudley Records, Bassendean WA.

Coming Home Soon

This song was written after a conversation with my mother then re written to support refugees held in offshore detention on Manus Island. However, as I become more and more aware of the plight of all refugees across the planet I realise that they all need support from us, we who are fortunate enough to live in peace and safety.

DEMO - Fly Free Little Bird

This song was inspired by the plight of the refugees on Manus and Nauru.  After several conversation with the refugees who have found themselves in a terrible situation through no fault of their own I had to find a way to communicate how I felt about it all.  I know dedicate this song to the refugees on Manus and Nauru every time I perform. 

Fly Free Little Bird © Dawn Barrington 2017

Verse 1
Fly free little bird, fly free to the dreams they denied you
the dreams  you have saved for a sunny day 
when all the channels will open when 
all the past regrets will dissipate……dissipate

Chorus
For you are the one who left the flock 
Scratching at the bars and chipping away that old rusty frame
You are the little canary that paved the way
Your light was shining brighter cause you knew the way

Verse 2
Fly free little bird, fly free and take off their chains 
that hold you down to his misery
Fly gracefully little bird fly with 
majestic ease open your wings as your heart sings

Chorus

Verse 3
Fly free little bird from their structures that caged your beliefs
Of how you thought life should be, how it should never be

Copyright Dawn Barrington 2018
Credits:
Produced and Mixed by Toby Walker
Mastered by Al Smith at Begerk studios
Artwork: Farhad Bandesh

Fly Free Little Bird

Written by:  Dawn Barrington 2018
Produced by:  Al Smith Bergerk Studios
Co produced by:  Tony King
Instrumentation and backing vocals:  Tony King
Photo:  Michael Hemmings

Lyrics
Can't Let Go
Can’t Let Go © Dawn Barrington 2017

Intro 
Can’t let go of   can’t let go of     can’t let go of    I can’t let gooo  x 2


Verse 1
on a thread,        fraid at the ends
tension is building and the knot is my friend


Verse 2
I’m fighting everyday     with things I cannot say
And the thoughts that just won’t go away


Chorus
You think that you know me,    You say that you care
You said it was over     but I don’t really care
You think that you know me,    You say that you care
You said it was over     but I don’t really care

Verse 3
My heart is out of control     It’s colliding with my soul
I just can’t seem to tear the two apart

Verse 4
I lived most my life not knowing who I am
I found something I can’t let go of
Can’t let go of   can’t let go of     can’t let go of    I can’t let gooo  x 2

Chorus
You think that you know me,    You say that you care
You said it was over     but I don’t really care
I don’t really care   I don’t really care    
I don’t really care   I don’t really care    x 2

Outro:
You think that you know me,    You say that you care
You said it was over     but I don’t really care

In My Name

Can't Let Go

Recorded, Mixed and produced: Al Smith Bgerk Studios
Co produced: Tony King
Instrumentation: Tony King, (Violin Luke Tulloch)
Vocals: Dawn Barrington

It’s gonna be OK - ©  Dawn Barrington 2017

Verse 1
He’s   got himself into a bit of a fix 
and his mind is playing that game
He’s under the impression he’s just got to sleep then it will all go away
But those feelings know only to well and they can’t take any more

Verse 2
You see, the sun it shines regardless with warmth in every ray
And he’s got this crazy woman, she reminds him every day
But still the clouds they gather, got him thinking that things aren’t OK

Chorus
She keeps telling him he’s fine with that beautiful smile
She said it’s gonna be OK but he just can’t seem to see it that way

Verse 3
He’s gonna open the door a little bit wider everyday
He just want’s to see what’s out there, she said it’s gonna be OK
But he’s not taking any chances, he’s wondering how hard can it be

Chorus              

Verse 4
He’s getting to a much deeper understanding of himself
It’s not very clear but he can feel it, from the bottom of that well
It’s deep, dark and it’s cold but he’s gonna claw his way out       


Chorus x 2

It's Gonna Be OK

Recorded, mixed and produced by Al Smith Bgerk studios
Co produced: Tony King
Instrumentation: Tony King (Violin Luke Tulloch)
Vocals: Dawn Barrington

Are you there?   ©  Dawn Barrington 2018                               

Verse 1
The cauldrom is full and the fire is strong
I’ve got this yearning to find where I belong
The scriptures in my heart tell me only one thing
I know who I am and I know where I’ve been


Verse 2
I’m casting new spells    cursing the frogs and the owls
Cause you’re not coming back and I’m on my way out
Into a brave new world where witches were condemned
Nobody knows what they went through then

Chorus 
I don’t have a god   I don’t have a prayer
I don’t need your preaching because you’re not really there    X  2

Are you there?                         Are you there?           X 2

Are You There

Recorded, mixed and produced: Al Smith Bgerk Studios
Co Produced: Tony King
Instrumentation and backing vocals: Tony King
Vocals: Dawn Barrington

In my Name © Dawn Barrington 2018


Verse 1
Are you to the left?      Or are you to the right?
Are you willing to stand up     Yeah stand up and fight?
For what you believe in        For what you have to say
Or are you willing to look the other way?

Verse 2
I’ve been watching very carefully indeed
Hearing heavy conversations that change the way I feel
People are coming together for the common good
They’re creating a ripple and getting understood

Chorus 
Yeah in my name, in the air that I breathe
In the words that I say               x 2 

Verse 3
They’re making a wave       A wave so great
Wash over the nation           And open up the gate
What it the truth were gonna set you free 
and only the cursed were ever gonna see


Chorus 
Yeah in my name, in the air that I breathe
In the words that I say              x 2

Chorus 
Yeah in my name, in the air that I breathe
In the words that I say              x 2

This song was written in response to my dismay at the current situation with refugees being detained offshore and onshore Australia. I advocate for the refugees all the time and I often get people saying "What about the homeless" etc. etc..... my response is in my chorus here "I would do the same for you I would pledge my soul for your freedom my friend......I would stand for you till justice was declared." 
While the Australian government tortures vulnerable people I can not rest.

Crossing New Borders / We Live

Crossing New Borders

We Live and We Die was written by Dawn Barrington and Kazem Kazemi on Manus Island February of 2019. I had been visiting a refugee in the Lorengau Hospital, who had lost the will to live after 6 years in detention on Manus Island. Qassim had been sent alongside approx 1300 other men by the Australian Goverment, as part of their harsh new policy to "stop the boats". He hadn't eaten for 12 days and just wanted end his life. One night I woke up in my hotel room around 2am and couldn't get Qassim out of my head and the hopelessness of his situation. I went outside and wrote this song. Kaz came to see me the next day with a new melody that he wanted to share with me. We worked together and "We Live and We Die" was created. This video was taken on my birthday 18th February 2019 at the Harbourside Hotel in Lorengue on Manus Island PNG. The next day I was deported with the friend that I went with for talking to refugees.

Crossing New Borders / We Live and We Die

We Live and We Die

Dawn Barrington is a contemporary folk singer songwriter with a social conscience. Keeping in line with the origins of folk singers Dawn is engaging and her songs tell stories which often carry a political or social message. On her numerous tours up and down Australia’s East coast, Dawn’s has travelled far from her home in WA’s idyllic South West and put herself in front of many new faces and fans.  Dawn’s travels have also taken her to the far less idyllic locations of Manus Island where she took her music to the refugees detained there. Encountering many different languages and individual stories, Dawn has discovered the common connecter remains the language of music.  
Her songs are “beautiful, inspiring and thought provoking”. 

Nominated for the “Best Regional Act” for West Australia Music Industry (WAM) November 2019 and track “Fly Free Little Bird” selected for the KISS my WAMi compilation CD 2018 demonstrates that Dawn isn’t letting the grass grow under her feet
Her most recent release is 5 Track EP "Can't Let Go"
You can purchase her songs from https://dawnbarrington1.bandcamp.com and you can find out what she is up to on https://www.facebook.com/DawnBarringtonMusic

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