Some songs are written to keep a memory alive, and that’s the road Richard Dean Fisher takes on his folk singer-songwriter release, “Srebrenica,” looking back on the devastation of genocide while using the story to reflect on the continued presence of hatred, fascism, and racism in the world.
The song is about Srebrenica and how this kind of violence can destroy families and communities. A reminder of the fragility of human life when aggression and hatred are permitted to flourish. Fisher focuses on the rain, which he describes as a kind of miracle in the way it disrupted the aggressor’s plans.
That particularity gives the song a special emotional perspective. Even when damage may be caused, an unforeseen event can interrupt the intended act of destruction. The distinction between interruption and irreversible loss is a particularly sobering subject. “Srebrenica” connects the memorialization of history to the concerns of the present. Fisher’s folk and singer-songwriter roots allow him to be both direct and contemplative on the subject. The result is a song about memory, consequence, and the duty to remember what happened, while acknowledging the human cost.
Connect – | Spotify |
