Looking Back I See The Future
I’m going to ask my fellow bloggers to indulge me for a few moments as I stroll down Memory Lane. I am currently working on a project assembling hundreds of my favorite songs from the Sixties. Yes, it was a controversial time and many of is suffered from misplaced idealism. Many of us grew out of it. You can tell those who didn’t. I’m referring to 60 year old men with gray ponytails and women who still think they look like Cher. Bless their hearts. Anyway, I came across this song by Steppenwolf, (yes boys and girls, they did more than Born To Be Wild) and it hit me really hard at how those who do not recall the past are doomed to repeat it. This particular song is important for two reasons. One, I can not recall another pop song that was primarily an American History lesson (albeit an extremely abridged one) and two, I will bet you dollars to proverbial donuts that if you give these lyrics to any high school student, they would immediately think it was written in the past two years and not nearly forty years ago. This is merely an exercise in self awareness. Take it for what it’s worth. I doubt the Powers That Be will learn anything from it but what the heck… Once the religious, the hunted and weary (A nod to RichK) But still from near and far to seek America (At least they signed the guest book. – A nod to Dennis Miller) And once the ties with the crown had been broken (A nod to our own consciences) But still from near and far to seek America The blue and grey they stomped it (Note that even then some of us knew it was not a Civil War.) And though the past has it's share of injustice (Can anyone say Homeland Security?) The spirit was freedom and justice (Hey neo-cons, wake up! This is not what you promised us in ’94.) Our cities have turned into jungles (Let’s not confuse a refusal to learn with prescience.) America where are you now? (Is this war really lost? I mean the war to reinstate the principles this country was founded on. Looking at our so-called leaders, It wouldn’t be a good bet. Fortunately that little tiny bit of Hope I have makes me think even this can be overcome.) Thanks for bearing with me. I know we have many problems to deal with in the U S of A but since we have intentionally inflicted most of them on ourselves, I certainly hope we wake up (as a nation) and try to right the course we are on. Thank you. Related: lilyslore's blog | login or register to post comments | printer friendly version | Tags: America | ideals | Monster | Steppenwolf
Submitted by Key2life on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 11:55am.
lily, Excellent lyrics...and as with any social ill in the world, I believe the first place to start is with the person you see in the mirror, decisding to be what you want to see in the world and communicating it (as you have) with others to ask them to look at themselves in the mirror and deciding if they want to be what they want to see. It sounds simplistic, I know. Historically speaking, great things begin with the first step. I'll be interested in reading what others think about the lyrics, lily. Karen Lake
Submitted by lilyslore on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 12:36pm.
Oh Lord o' Mercy, ANYTHING but rap. I would need for you to ask Gandalf for more Mithral to protect me, Mike. :>) (Nice reference) Key, that's exactly what I am hoping for. I do expect the superficial neo-cons to label me a liberal again. I still can't reconcile a desire to dismantle the government with expanding like a supernova. Ah well, whattyagonnado? Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman Submitted by Foxx on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 12:57pm.
Most of you have seen more as far as history is concerned than i. The little that i can recall as far as politics and culture has either turned south or seems to headed that way. However, i'm also indifferent and part of a newer generation and would like to think that there are great days ahead. Maybe it's a cycle or turn of events or series of changes and the old generation just dosen't like the changes. Maybe the generation of old sees things now failing that once worked the way they did it. It's all a matter of perspective, i choose to be optimistic with a balance of realism. Liberal, Conservative, Independent, it dosen't matter, most negativity comes from politics and government, the parties are a division pulling this nation a part. The names or labels separate eachother and make enemies. If we could come back together, not as love you family, but just as a group with a common goal in mind, for a more perfect union, am i dreaming? Now, relaistically, we'll never come back together entirely, this country will fall eventually and the negative will only get worse. But in the mean time we could at least make an effort to the above. Lily, i don't care what your affiliation is. That and i'm going o have to look up neo-con.
Submitted by TruthHurts on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 1:15pm.
Great music, and lyrics. There were tons of great songs from that generation. I supose what makes them timeless is not only in the fact that these were gifted people able to move a culture, but also history does seem to repeat itself. In a utopias wolrd, we would all love to see no more war, and governments we can trust in beyond a shadow of a doubt. I am a realist and unfortunately the mirrors we look in are not the same mirrors as in the Snow White Story. I am sorry to say, I think songs such as this will be around for a long, long, time. "The answer my friend is blowin in the wind, the answer is blowin in the wind" (Bob Dylan)
TRUTHHURTS Submitted by clayvoter on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 1:25pm.
Finder--you are sending me down the google path like Lily. I would not need Mithral I would need serious mind numbing chemicals if I had to listen to RAP, Give me the music of the 60's and early 70's. Social and musical value. "You can't always get what you want, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find, you get what you need."
Submitted by finder on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 1:30pm.
clayvoter; Thanks for the compliment about Google but I'm no where near to being in the same league as Lily! Kansas - Dust in the Wind Pink Floyd - Brick in the Wall I have got to be getting old. Waxing nostalgic. Mike Heemer http://24.23.126.8/ Petition for choice in Nov. Submitted by SoloVoce on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 1:49pm.
Lily, Darn good post. Thanks for the nod. I don't think I ever had a nod before, but it felt good. There was a lot of good music from that period. I still thank two of my high school teachers for presenting the wonders of music to us. One, a priest, was the choir & glee club director & the other was a lay teacher who taught English, music & had a part time job playing piano at the Playboy Club in Chicago. I still can't fugure out how he got hired at a CATHOLIC, all boys college prep high school back in the early 60's. Forget music 101 or music appreciation. the two of them presented us, not forced us, with all kinds of music, history of, & styles & let us take what we wanted. Till this day, I still enjoy music from 15th century France, Gregorian chant, (I cut my teeth on that stuff when I joined the church choir. Tough, but I learned discipline) classical, big band, (a favorite,) rock, pop, Motown & a ton more. I still don't know the difference between rap & hip hop, don't care for grunge & a few others, but that's for another generation to appreciate. Thanks for the trip. JATFUR. RichK Submitted by FTDOAAWM on Sat, 04/19/2008 - 10:55pm.
Lily, since I am that age I too like the 60’s and 70’s music,and some later artist. In “69” I marched in anti-Vietnam marches in Chicago while I was attending college. That was before my draft board messed up my paper work and I found out I was going to be drafted. I decided to enlist in the Navy and at least get some good electronic schooling if I had to go into the service. I was going to do my four years and get out. Funny thing happened, I grew up and saw the other side of the “coin” and over 23 years later during Clinton's military draw-down myself and many others were more or less forced out of the military. Now you ask what has this got to do with music? I was a crew member on a P3 and when ever we returned from a deployment or a det from overseas we use to play this one song over the planes ICS when we reached the 3 mile limit of the US. On the boats and on the planes, They come to America Home.. Though it seems so far away Everywhere around the world, they come to America I guess I just see the world a little different. I still see America as a land of hope and a land of giving. People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their part. Submitted by BanjoMan on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 9:27am.
come on you guys , i like good ole fashion relaxing ,smoothe listening ,toe tappen, foot stompping ,lip dipping ,finger picking ,eye popping bluegrass rap [ is there any such thing] banjoman
Submitted by lilyslore on Sun, 04/20/2008 - 10:21am.
Well, it seems as once again either I am not being as clear as I think I am or readers are not absorbing what I am writing as I think they should. I suppose it's an amalgam of both. I am not indulging my love of the Sixties to give a negative view on our country, our politicians, sure, but not our country. "Monster", by Steppenwolf, just seems to be so appropriate to what we are going through today and the fact that is was recorded nearly forty years ago is the theme of the post. "America" was also a terrific song and still holds up well today in it's promise of opportunity for all who would dare try to live a better life. (The movie sucked, but there you go.) Our leaders have usually been a major disappointment to so many and for so many different reasons, primarily because we are such a diverse and richly endowed nation. I am referring to our individualism, not our wallets. For every decision, invariably, there will be some who are disappointed. This is not a criticism, just an observation. Anyone attributing the post to a seditious nature (and I do have a seditious side) are not correct in this instance. When you boil it all down, I found it to be a curiosity and perhaps an abject lesson to the upcoming generation. That lesson would be "Please do no suffer fools gladly." The first thing I write on the board in classes I teach is Question Everything!" I want the students of today to take NOTHING on faith. Faith is best left in the churches, synagogues and mosques of the world. When it comes to dealing with problems of today, I want them to be independent minded and not simply take anyone's word for anything, even mine. (This is a major reason I have no respect for those who parrot the ramblings of talk show loons.) Not that I want to seque into a completely different topic but I believe the major cause of a drop in student's grades is the fact that our students today seem to merely learn by rote and not by reasoning. I am also sure there are many exceptions to this statement. I'll blather on about this sometime later in another post I'm sure. I merely wanted to clarify that I am not down on the promise of America. It was merely an exercise in demonstrating that history will always repeat itself. Lily's Lore "I don't ever want to be rescued And I don't ever want to be saved I got a feelin' that I'm gonna be alive forever Dancin' on the edge of a grave..." Jim Steinman Submitted by Cookie on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 7:56am.
I agree with you BanjoMan. Some good old toe tappin, fiddle playin, banjo pickin is just the ticket. Oh by the way, I have heard progress Bluegrass that is being played by some of the newbie out there. Sounds nothing like the father of Bluegrass music. I guess we need to keep it real and remember our roots! Submitted by Sunflower on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 9:13pm.
Lily - love this blog. You all may have figured out by now that "Sunflower" is a child of the sixties and seventies. As such, I totally appreciate most of the songs and lyrics from that time. History does indeed repeat. Here is one of our favorites from the current, albeit could've been the past, from The Eagles latest album: "Frail Grasp On The Big Picture" Well, ain't it a shame Good ol' boys down at the bar Frail grasp on the big picture You my love-drunk friend Frail grasp on the big picture And we pray to our Lord Frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture Frail grasp on the big picture Judy says" The album title is "Long Road Out of Eden". Disclaimer - I make no $$ from the sale. Link to petition: http://24.23.126.8/Petition.pdf Submitted by bensmith74 on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 4:22pm.
A song written years ago still applies today. Different war, same problem. The concept of politicians originally outlined has been skewed since we developed this country. Jefferson, Washington and company were already the rich land owners of the time and politics have moved on from there. Now people are making a living just being in politics when it was outlined that they would come from the people and be for the people, not just some puppet in the back pockets of anyone who can afford to buy their vote. The politics of the 60s haven't changed much from where we're at today aside from the fact that the government now has even more control over us than they did back then. Public opinion is pushed away and our system for voting has become a mockery. Look at the "hanging chads" issue. We needed reform from our style of government back when this song was written and nothing has really changed, except for the number of channels we have available and the player you use to listen to music.
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Lily;
Set it to a Rap beat and it could have been written in the last two years.
I'm thinking of a great quote from Walt Kelly's Pogo!
Mike Heemer http://24.23.126.8/ Petition for choice in Nov.