Track 17
Guilt Trip
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Guilt Trip
A folky protest song starting with the Hari Krishna chant….
We visit many temples in India and often end up getting blessed in the process, leaving a small donation to the temple as we leave. In all these visits we have never felt anything less than welcome, and have never been pushed for money – except once.
Visiting Vrindnavan, the forests where Krishna played as a child, we hit a snag as the roads were blocked and Mr Kumar could not drive his car into the centre. A passing ‘tour guide’ offered to take us in and after agreeing a price we decided to go in on foot. So far so good, but after visiting the (rather forlorn) remains of the forest he asked if we would like a blessing in the temple – we agreed. After a couple of minutes of this, we were asked what size of donation we would like to make – a choice from 50 – 5000 pounds sterling! Thinking we’d misheard we checked the figures – no, those were correct… I’m not quite sure if this was the priest of the guide trying to make a fast buck from foolish tourists (I suspect the latter), but we made it abundantly clear that this would not happen and left. Our ‘guide’ took us back to the car and I paid as agreed, but he was horrified that I didn’t add a tip!
I should add that this was not the Krishna Consciousness temple in Mathura which we have visited in the past and where we were made welcome without pressure to donate heavily. This was an unfortunate exception but soured things for us there.
words and music by Martin Stirrup 2017
Start with Hare Krishan riff.. C G D7 Em
Em A Em
Some people do it for money
Some people do it for love
Some people laugh, call me honey
Some people just give me a shove
C G D7 Em
But I’ve got eyes and I can see
C G Am Am7 Am6 Em
Don’t try to hang your guilt trip on me
For I am wise to all your schemes
So don’t try to hang your guilt trip on me
Some people syearn to know Krishna
Some people love Vrindnavan
But that’s not something I wish for
It isn’t [part of my plan
You want to give me your blessing
You know with me that’s OK
But only after you’re confessing
Just how much you want me to pay
I’d make a small donation
But the numbers you try to hike
So I say with no trepidation
You can go get on your bike
Young Krishna took the poison from the water
With the gopis he liked a game
But now all I see is exploitation
Done in Krishna’s name