John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Plastic Ono Band recorded this classic in 1971. Buried in the jingle-jangle are universal wishes that never grow old. Here’s hoping this tune gains even more traction as the years pass.
And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong.
The rich and the poor ones, the road is so long.
And so happy Christmas for black and for white.
For yellow and red ones let’s stop all the fights.
“It’s happening again right in front of our eyes,” moans Tyler Childres in this recent tune on the album Long Violent History. The violence in 2020 may possibly be a response to a resurrection of a history of repression.
It’s called me belligerent, it’s took me for ignorant
But it ain’t never once made me scared just to be
Could you imagine just constantly worrying
Kicking and fighting, begging to breathe?
Bob and weave as Queen Latifah, Yo-Yo, TLC, MC Lyte, Nefertiti, Salt-N-Pepa, Patra, Meshell Ndegeocello and choir deliver “Freedom.” I dare you to sit still as the crew sings the theme from the movie Panther.
We will not bow down to, uh huh, racism.
We will not bow down to injustice.
We will not bow down to exploitation.
I’m gon’ stand.
In December of 2014, before the recently defeated U.S. president even took office, the nation was aflame with protests about military-style policing. Wt-Tang Clan weighed in with this anthem, the fast rhythms of rap urging action, personal and corporate. Now that we’re seeing another administration, it’s up to us to keep the flow going. The problmes are larger than one administraiton. “This is not all of the names.”
So many bad want to scheme for American dream, no more kings.
The cash rule everything now, we going down.
These babies looking up to us, it’s up to us.
The Million Man March MC’s, get on the bus.
But envy, greed, lust, and hate, separate.
Though the devil mind state blood kin cannot relate.
No longer, brothers, we unstable.
Like Kane when he slew Abel, killing each other.
Every once in a while comes a popluar single with a depth of lyrics that it takes a number of directions. Now, add to that an evocative video, and you’ve got a Holy Day meditation.
Suffer it to be so now gotta clean it up.
Formalize the union in communion He can trust.
I know I ain’t leavin’ you like I know He ain’t leavin’ us.
I know we believe in God and I know God believes in us.
‘Cause the way you hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me, hold me
Feels so holy, holy, holy, holy, holy.
On God.
Runnin’ to the altar like a track star.
Can’t wait another second.
Just minutes after
The race was called
For the oldest presidential candidate ever,
A too-little, too-late
Rally in my little town took place.
Banners flew.
The media was denounced.
A car drove past,
blasting “Celebration Now.”
We’ve a lot of work to do.
At the conclusion of the Amazon Prime presentation of What the Constitution Means to Me is this tune, the music and lyrics by Lola Blanc powerfully greasing the messages of the show.
See it.
(The music video is hard to watch, but it drives home a major thrust of the show.)
I buried the unseemly urges
Deep down in the ground with the roots,
But it’s all coming up to the surface.
Maybe it’s getting ready to bloom.
And I don’t wanna be a monster in the making.
I don’t wanna be more bitter than sweet.
I don’t know how to be just standing by blankly,
Not getting angry.
Al Jolson sings and brings back echoes of the the past and the plight of many during that time.
Here’s hoping it doesn’t happen again.
Once in khaki suits, ah gee we looked swell,
Full of that yankee doodly dum.
Half a million boots went sloggin’ through hell,
And I was the kid with the drum.
Who says protest isn’t beautiful?
Gorgeous rhythms, an infectious beat and wicked solos are a great way to say, “No, thank you.” See Lo Green and Daryl Hall sing.
I’s almost as if Bartleby the Scrivener does pop music. It’s almost as if this pop song about relationships extends into political life.
I’ll do anything that you want me to.
Yeah I’ll do almost anything that you want me to.
Yeah.
But I can’t go for that, no,
No can do.
A Seattle-based journalist and editor with decades of experience.
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