Acclaimed British singer PJ Harvey has released a new song, and its an ode to a Guantanamo Bay detainee. The track is called "Shaker Aamer," named for the man being held at the controversial detention camp.
The haunting lyrics describe inmates' time at Guantanamo, as Harvey sings, "No water for three days / I cannot sleep, or stay awake / Four months hunger strike / Am I dead, or am I alive? / With metal tubes we are force fed / I honestly wish, I wish was dead." Take a listen to "Shaker Aamer" above.
Aamer is a former British resident who has been held in Guantanamo for 11 years, despite being cleared for release in 2007, according to Rolling Stone. Aamer has reportedly been a part of the group of detainees who are participating in an ongoing hunger strike, which has led to the controversial practice of force-feeding.
"We hope that people listen to this song and think about Shaker Aamer’s plight: detained for eleven long years at Guantanamo, without charge or trial – despite having been cleared for release by both Bush and Obama," a statement from Aamer's lawyer Clive Stafford Smith reads. "The UK Government must do everything it can to bring Shaker back home to his wife and kids in London, where he belongs. PJ Harvey has written a wonderful song - I know Shaker will be deeply moved by it - and I only hope that, with the support of the public, he will one day be able to listen to it in freedom."
