This is What Democracy Looks Like
A rally-ready protest song licensed through Creative Commons
Music: Elizabeth Alexander
Words: Elizabeth Alexander
A short, sassy and musical treatment of the popular social justice chant, easy to learn and appropriate for intergenerational singing.
This is What Democracy Looks Like was composed especially for the Justice Choir Songbook, an initiative of the social and environmental justice movement JusticeChoir.org. The song is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license *.
The lead sheet may be downloaded here or at on the Justice Choir download page.
* In layperson’s terms, here’s what Creative Commons BY-NC-ND means:
1) Always give credit to the creator of the work.
2) No commercial use allowed without permission of Creative Commons owner
3) No derivative works allowed without permission of Creative Commons owner
“Thank you for giving us the perfect song to honor International Democracy day!” Lynn Mendoza-Khan, Professional Singer and Choir Director, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego
Details and Ordering Information
This is What Democracy Looks Like
ONE: We see that there’s a wrong to be righted.
TWO: We know that we are stronger when united.
THREE: We exercise our right to assemble.
FOUR: That’s when the proud and mighty start to tremble.
Just in case you’re wonderin’,
Just in case you’re wonderin’,
Just in case you’re wonderin’,
Hey, hey, look this way!
This is what democracy looks like.
SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!
This is what democracy looks like.
SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!
This is what democracy looks like.
SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!
This is what democracy looks like.
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!
Elizabeth Alexander, based on the popular social justice chant
© 2017 by Elizabeth Alexander
Performers
Premiere: JusticeChoir.org / Tesfa Wondemagegnehu. National Justice Choir Launch (Minneapolis, MN)
Guardian Angels Music Ministry / Roger Stratton (Oakdale, MN)
Justice Choir-Indianapolis / Meagan Johnson (Indianapolis, IN)
Justice Choir-Ithaca / Jennifer Lawrence Birnbaum (Ithaca, NY)
Justice Choir-San Diego / Emilie Amrein (San Diego, CA)
Justice Choir-Twin Cities. Minnesota State Fair (St. Paul, MN)
Participants in the Alternatives to Violence Project / Anne Matlack (Chatham, NJ)
…plus LOTS more I don’t know about!
