The Cost of Silence

(Dawn Isbell Wilson)

This protest song born was of rage and urgency. I wrote it in response to the hypocrisy of those who claim to “protect women and girls” while stripping away our rights, ignoring our voices, and weaponizing fear against trans people, immigrants, and anyone who doesn’t fit their narrow mold. I’ve heard too many white, cis men suddenly concerned about women’s sports; men who never cared until it became a tool for exclusion. Meanwhile, women are dying because their reproductive rights have been erased. The only protection we need is from those who claim to speak for us while silencing us. This song is a reckoning. A reminder of what happens when we don’t speak out. I remembered the words of Martin Niemöller: "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me." So I wrote a version for America, 2025.

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Verse
They first came for the dreamers 
but I was safe and calm
So I didn’t say a single word 
to keep them from the harm 

Chorus
I told myself to look away
These things happen every day
No harm can come to me or mine
Everything is always fine

Verse
Then they came for women
And many of them cried
But I was not impacted
So, I was silent while they died

Chorus
I told myself to look away
These things happen every day
No harm can come to me or mine
Everything is always fine

Verse
Next they came for trans kids 
Mine didn’t fit the mold 
Now bathrooms feel safe again 
Or so the story’s told

Chorus
I told myself to look away
These things happen every day
No harm can come to me or mine
Everything is always fine

Bridge
And now they’ve come for me and mine
And nothing’s to be done
No one’s left to speak for us
it’s impossible to run

Outro
I tried to look the other way 
My silence had a price to pay 
The harm has come to me and mine 
And nothing now is ever fine
© Dawn Isbell Wilson 2025