Tooth For a Tooth (1990)
[This song blasts, in no uncertain terms, the entrenched local custom of eye-for-an-eye and tooth-for-a-tooth,
citing verses from scriptures to make its point.]
So, tough guy, are you still twirling that moustache of yours?
You're so manly, from your shirt collar down to your socks
Well, excuse me, you can't stand anyone looking at you
You image of a male, you, no one has the guts to speak to you
We, in Lebanon, have a high percentage of tough guys
They come in all sizes and models
But the man whose methods are based on violent action
has to learn to change one nasty habit, which is:
CHORUS: An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth
He slaps you once, you slap back twice
This guy's to blame, no, that guy's to blame
He screws you once, you screw him twice
Brother, I thought you were going to count to ten
Calm your nerves, and try not to fume at such a nervous time
Anger blinds you, and always leads to bloodshed
Be patient and forget about honor and pride
The Lebanese man is known for hot-bloodedness to the point of boiling
He's insulted when hearing one word not to his liking
But we've all seen what macho tactics have done to our country
Listen to me when I tell you that what has ruined us is:
CHORUS
Young man, there is one thing you haven't given thought to
There's not one family in Lebanon that hasn't lost a loved one
If, every time we lose someone, we hoist the Kalashnikov on our shoulders
Then, believe me, we'd eradicate each other before we settle our differences
Getting even, and revenge, these are words that fool you
You satisfy your urge for killing but don't revive those who have died
Push your calamity aside and shed away your hatred
We will not rest until we get rid of that Goddamned fad:
CHORUS
So, you stud you, have I convinced you to take it easy and calm down?
If plain Arabic does not convey, then what do you want me to do, bark?
You could be macho without being so heavy-handed
Next time around, they hit your left cheek, turn the right
It's not up to you to judge people, so don't butt in too much
Leave that up to your God, God deals with the culprit
And if God wills, and we all behave like mature adults
We still might reach the stage where we would not be at odds due to:
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth
He slaps you once !