This video is a powerful and emotional rap song that discusses the impact of war on civilians, particularly children, in Iran. The song is presented as a plea from the Iranian people to the people of America, asking them to understand the human cost of war and to remember the names of those who have been lost. The song is not about politics or war, but about the simplicity of human life and the importance of remembering the names of those who have been affected. The song tells the story of a mother in Minna who presses her daughter's clothes before she walks to school, only to be killed in a missile strike. The song then goes on to describe the impact of war on children, including the loss of their parents, the destruction of their homes, and the trauma they experience. The song also highlights the resilience of the Iranian people, who have been living under sanctions and pressure for 47 years. The song is a powerful critique of the way that war is reported and remembered, with the narrator asking "Tell me what you call it when there's nothing left at all?" The song concludes by saying "Say their names" and showing a drawing made by a little girl in the rubble of a school, which is a powerful reminder of the human cost of war. The song is not just a critique of war, but also a call to action, asking the people of America to remember the names of those who have been lost and to try to understand the human cost of war. The song is a powerful and emotional plea that is likely to move listeners to tears.
0:02This song is going to try to make you This song is going to try to make you cry.
0:07Not because of politics.
0:10Not because of politics.
0:10Not because of war.
0:12Not because of war.
0:12Because of something Because of something much simpler than that.
0:18much simpler than that.
0:18>> [music] >> February 28th, the [music] sun came up >> February 28th, the [music] sun came up like any other day.
0:33A mother in Minna pressed [music] her A mother in Minna pressed [music] her daughter's clothes before she walked daughter's clothes before she walked away.
0:39away.
0:39>> [music] >> [music] >> Packed her lunch, fixed her braids, >> Packed her lunch, fixed her braids, kissed her on the cheek, said learn kissed her on the cheek, said learn something new today.
0:48something new today.
0:48Those were the last words [music] Those were the last words [music] she could speak.
0:547:00 in the morning, a missile carved a 7:00 in the morning, a missile carved a line across the sky. 122 children walked line across the sky. 122 children walked through [music] those school gates.
1:03through [music] those school gates.
1:03Never Never said goodbye. [music] The walls came down, the ceiling fell.
1:10The walls came down, the ceiling fell.
1:10The chalk was still on the board.
1:12The chalk was still on the board.
1:12[music] They called it a precision [music] They called it a precision strike. Collateral ignored. 73 boys in strike. Collateral ignored. 73 boys in those halls ages 6 to 12.
1:20those halls ages 6 to 12.
1:20>> [music] >> [music] >> 47 girls who spent their mornings >> 47 girls who spent their mornings putting stories [music] on the shelves.
1:28putting stories [music] on the shelves.
1:2926 teachers, all women, every single 26 teachers, all women, every single one.
1:34one.
1:34A bus driver, a pharmacist next door A bus driver, a pharmacist next door just living under the sun. [music] And just living under the sun. [music] And one unborn child 6 months along never one unborn child 6 months along never drew a breath. 168 [music] drew a breath. 168 [music] lives between a morning and a death.
1:47lives between a morning and a death.
1:47They said we had old intelligence.
1:50They said we had old intelligence.
1:50[music] We thought it was a base.
1:52[music] We thought it was a base.
1:52The only uniforms they found in the The only uniforms they found in the rubble rubble were the ones worn on small faces.
1:59were the ones worn on small faces.
1:59Tell me how you name it Tell me how you name it when the ones who fall are small?
2:06when the ones who fall are small?
2:06>> [music] >> Tell me what you call it >> Tell me what you call it when there's nothing left at all?
2:13when there's nothing left at all?
2:13I don't want the politics. [music] I don't want the politics. [music] I don't I don't I don't want the war.
2:20I just want to know their I just [music] want to know their Yeah.
2:28Yeah.
2:2810 years.
2:2910 years.
2:29>> [music] >> That's how long they built the bridge at >> That's how long they built the bridge at Karaj. 10 years of engineers working Karaj. 10 years of engineers working through sanctions, through the dark. The through sanctions, through the dark. The tallest bridge across the Middle East, tallest bridge across the Middle East, 136 [music] 136 [music] m high. They were weeks from opening it.
2:41m high. They were weeks from opening it.
2:41Families ready to walk across the sky.
2:44Families ready to walk across the sky.
2:44Two missiles April [music] 2nd, 13 Two missiles April [music] 2nd, 13 people at a picnic below. They had no people at a picnic below. They had no idea they were part of [music] a idea they were part of [music] a geopolitical show when Trump posted the geopolitical show when Trump posted the biggest bridge in Iran [singing] just biggest bridge in Iran [singing] just fell. Much more is on the way. [music] fell. Much more is on the way. [music] No mention of the people that fell. Then No mention of the people that fell. Then they hit the labs. To find Darou Pakhsh they hit the labs. To find Darou Pakhsh
3:01at the core where cancer medicine was at the core where cancer medicine was made, where vaccines existed before.
3:05made, where vaccines existed before.
3:05Patients who needed chemotherapy [music] Patients who needed chemotherapy [music] woke up to empty shelves. Children who woke up to empty shelves. Children who needed insulin left to figure it needed insulin left to figure it themselves. [music] themselves. [music] 240 medical sites, 50 hospitals hit and 240 medical sites, 50 hospitals hit and the world debated whether [music] it was the world debated whether [music] it was legal while people got sick. 77 ancient legal while people got sick. 77 ancient sites, 500 years of stone. Golestan sites, 500 years of stone. Golestan [music] Palace cracked as funds grow
3:26[music] Palace cracked as funds grow scarce along.
3:28scarce along.
3:28Tell me how you name Tell me how you name >> [music] >> when the ones who fall are small?
3:35>> when the ones who fall are small?
3:35Tell me what you call it Tell me what you call it when there's nothing left at all?
3:42when there's nothing left at all?
3:42>> [music] >> I don't want the politics.
3:46>> I don't want the politics.
3:46I don't want [music] the war.
3:49I just want to know their names.
3:52I just want to know their names.
3:5747 years this [music] nation's lived 47 years this [music] nation's lived beneath the gun. 47 years of maximum beneath the gun. 47 years of maximum pressure under the sun.
4:04pressure under the sun.
4:04>> [music] >> You cut their banks, you blocked their >> You cut their banks, you blocked their medicine, you froze their sky. 90 medicine, you froze their sky. 90 million people woke up every morning million people woke up every morning [music] asking why. Their grandparents [music] asking why. Their grandparents survived Saddam, chemical weapons eight survived Saddam, chemical weapons eight long years. Their parents survived long years. Their parents survived [music] revolution, blood, and broken [music] revolution, blood, and broken mirrors. This generation survived COVID mirrors. This generation survived COVID
4:20without the world's vaccines. They built without the world's vaccines. They built their own at Pasteur. And now you've their own at Pasteur. And now you've seen what happens when you bomb a people seen what happens when you bomb a people who have nothing [music] left to lose, who have nothing [music] left to lose, who've been standing in the fire SO LONG who've been standing in the fire SO LONG THEY FORGOT HOW TO LOSE? 72 hours THEY FORGOT HOW TO LOSE? 72 hours >> [music] >> the Strait of Hormuz shut tight and >> the Strait of Hormuz shut tight and Europe woke up shivering learning what Europe woke up shivering learning what
4:38sanctions feel like overnight.
4:40sanctions feel like overnight.
4:40>> [music] >> That's not a threat, that's just >> That's not a threat, that's just geography saying what it means. 20% of geography saying what it means. 20% of the world's oil runs through 40 km.
4:47the world's oil runs through 40 km.
4:47[music] Seems you sanctioned them for [music] Seems you sanctioned them for half a century. They're still standing half a century. They're still standing at the door. Some people were built for at the door. Some people were built for survival. [music] survival. [music] That's what history's for.
4:57That's what history's for.
4:57A boy named Ali, he's 15 years old, says A boy named Ali, he's 15 years old, says every small [music] sound now makes his every small [music] sound now makes his blood run cold. He can't sleep, he can't blood run cold. He can't sleep, he can't dream, he just stares at the wall.
5:07dream, he just stares at the wall.
5:07Nobody told him how to be 15 at all.
5:10Nobody told him how to be 15 at all.
5:10130,000 CALLED the crisis LINE ONE 130,000 CALLED the crisis LINE ONE NIGHT. NOT ASKING ABOUT [music] BORDERS, NIGHT. NOT ASKING ABOUT [music] BORDERS, JUST ASKING if they're all right. Not JUST ASKING if they're all right. Not asking about deals or maps or who asking about deals or maps or who controls the sea. Just asking if someone controls the sea. Just asking if someone could tell them [music] could tell them [music] what does safe feel like to breathe. 20 what does safe feel like to breathe. 20 million children million children under 14 in this land under 14 in this land >> [music] >> [music]
5:32>> learning that the sky can fall >> learning that the sky can fall before they understand.
5:38before they understand.
5:38And the cruelest part of all of this, And the cruelest part of all of this, the part I can't explain, [music] the part I can't explain, [music] is they still wake up every morning is they still wake up every morning and they try again.
6:00Let me speak to the people [music] Let me speak to the people [music] in America for a moment. Stay with me.
6:04in America for a moment. Stay with me.
6:04This is not about your flag, this is a This is not about your flag, this is a plea. The Iranians, the [music] real plea. The Iranians, the [music] real ones, will tell you something true. They ones, will tell you something true. They watch your movies through illegal watch your movies through illegal satellites on rooftops just like you.
6:16They wore your [music] band's shirts and They wore your [music] band's shirts and dreamed of walking your streets at dreamed of walking your streets at night. They argued about your TV shows night. They argued about your TV shows and stayed up past midnight.
6:25and stayed up past midnight.
6:25>> [music] >> [music] >> The enemy was never you, never the >> The enemy was never you, never the person at the pump. The enemy makes person at the pump. The enemy makes decisions while you're the one who pays decisions while you're the one who pays the sum. Every mother in Ohio scared the sum. Every mother in Ohio scared [music] for her son deployed feels [music] for her son deployed feels exactly what a mother in Minna feels, exactly what a mother in Minna feels, destroyed. [music] Because grief is not destroyed. [music] Because grief is not political. Grief doesn't check your political. Grief doesn't check your
6:43passport at the gate. The only thing passport at the gate. The only thing that separates their tears is what gets that separates their tears is what gets broadcast [music and singing] on your broadcast [music and singing] on your sleep.
6:51sleep.
6:52And the most radical act inside a war is And the most radical act inside a war is to remain human, to refuse [music] to to remain human, to refuse [music] to become the thing they need you to become the thing they need you to become. To keep cooking bread by become. To keep cooking bread by candlelight and singing to your child.
7:02candlelight and singing to your child.
7:02[music and singing] Keep drawing pictures of your family Keep drawing pictures of your family when the world's going wild.
7:08when the world's going wild.
7:08>> [music] >> When the ones who fall are small?
7:14>> When the ones who fall are small?
7:14Tell me what you call it Tell me what you call it when there's [music] nothing left at when there's [music] nothing left at all?
7:19I don't want the politics. I don't want I don't want the politics. I don't want the war.
7:23the war.
7:23I just [music] want to know their names.
7:26I just [music] want to know their names.
7:26Say their names.
7:28Say their names.
7:28>> [music] >> [music] >> Say their names. I told you at the start >> Say their names. I told you at the start this song [music] was going to try to this song [music] was going to try to make you cry. Not because of politics.
7:37make you cry. Not because of politics.
7:38>> You've heard enough of that. Not because >> You've heard enough of that. Not because of numbers. The numbers [music] don't of numbers. The numbers [music] don't hit back. I said it would be something hit back. I said it would be something simpler and I meant [singing] simpler and I meant [singing] it. In the rubble of the school in it. In the rubble of the school in Minna, they [music] found a drawing. A Minna, they [music] found a drawing. A little girl drew a family.
7:53little girl drew a family.
7:53A mother, a father, herself, and the A mother, a father, herself, and the sun. [music] She drew the sun with the sun. [music] She drew the sun with the smiley face. That's why you cry. Not smiley face. That's why you cry. Not because of war.
8:02because of war.
8:03Because she made the sun [singing] Because she made the sun [singing] smile smile and never got to and never got to >> [music] >> show it to anyone.
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