Ana 7urra B7ali (I am free)
Album: Ghanni 3an Ta3rif
Lyrics: Rimon Haddad and Mai Abadi
Composed by: Rimon Haddad
Perform by: Maisa Daw
I am free
In this song the phrase “You are yourself and I am myself, I am like you”, it has two meanings, first would be the actual clear one, which is that we are alike, and the second is that “you are yourself and I am gay, and we are alike”, this is because the equivalent word to alike in Arabic also means homosexual.
The street is empty, I’m on my own
The ground is wet, the lamps are already lit
The night is dark
It seems to have rained
The scenery seems to make the night even darker
The time passes slowly
Within seconds, the second pack of cigarettes is gone
It seems like this night won’t end well
How did this happen?
I no longer understand myself
(Speaking to a male friend)
We live in this land
And we want love
We search and we search
It all starts when you decide
It does not matter what you do
What matters is that you are alive
(Speaking to a female lover)
When I met you it stopped being strange
And when you knew me, we flew up high
I went home and dreamt of you
Asked myself why am I thinking of you
(Speaking to a male friend)
You are yourself and I am like you
Everything becomes clear
What is not understood?
You think you understand everything
I don’t think you do
Stop judging me
If you were like me
You would understand me
Imagine yourself in different circumstances
You are yourself and I am myself
I am like you
You don’t have to understand
But I am free with myself
(Speaking a female lover)
Yesterday, when I was walking at night
Loud noise in my head
I saw you walking beside me
Not feeling well
Confused like myself
As I was walking on my own
A hundred questions on my mind
With my imagination and illusions, not on my own
Stories and images
And a movie running in my head
About Qays and Leila
And my life project
Newton’s apple
Dali’s paintings
The entire world running through my head
But I am lost
Not knowing what I want
When I saw I knew you
I saw you
My head stopped working and I understood what was wrong with me
Maybe it’s normal
Maybe I didn’t want it
But in a moment I understood
That a hundred questions
Have disappeared from my head
(Speaking to a male friend)
You are yourself and I am myself
I am like you
Everything becomes clear, what is not understood?
You think you understand everything
I don’t think you do
Stop judging me
If you were like me
You would understand me
Imagine yourself in different circumstances
You are yourself and I am myself
I am like you
You don’t have to understand
But I am free with myself
You think you understand everything
I don’t think you do
What is not understood?
If you were like me
You would understand me
Everything becomes clear
Stop judging me
You are yourself and I am myself
I am like you
Just imagine yourself
In a different situation
You are yourself and I am myself
I am like you
You don’t have to understand
I am free with myself
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“Ghanni A`an Taa`rif” (Singing Sexuality) is a Palestinian youth music project, and an initiative of alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society. The project emerged from the desire of alQaws activists to reach out to Palestinian youth. alQaws aspired to open new discussions about sexuality and gender diversity in Palestinian society through music. Music is an expressive art form that has the potential to make us think and feel; it is a driver and catalog of revolutionary social movements, this one no exception.
The media campaign for the project was launched on the first of May 2013, primarily through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and email. The Facebook page holds all relevant information about "Ghanni A`an Taa`rif", as well as all written and visual materials that were and will be produced. These include three promotional teaser videos directed by Eli Reziq and Shahd Issawi. The campaign also included graffiti painted on the walls of Jaffa, Haifa and other cities.
Click here to visit Ghani website.