Issue 129 – November 2023
THE POETIC POWER OF MUSIC IN TRYING TIMES
“But it’s written in the starlight / And every line in your palm / We’re fools to make war / On our brothers in arms”– Dire Straits
Do you pause what you’re doing for a moment of silence on Remembrance Day? I do, and often turn on the radio (remember radio?) so as not to get caught up in work and miss 11 a.m.
One year, the radio station introduced the moment, and then went completely silent. As soon as 60 seconds ended, the station played Brothers In Arms, the 1985 song by British rock band Dire Straits quoted above.
It was utterly moving, and I think of that moment every November 11. And I’ve been thinking of those words and others from musicians as war rages in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Here are some of the other lines that have been running through my head, from musicians who know the effect of just the right words:
“War, what is it good for? / Absolutely nothing” – War by Edwin Starr
“War is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate / You know we've got to find a way / To bring some lovin’ here today” – What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye
“Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows / That too many people have died? / The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind” – Blowing in the Wind by Bob Dylan
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love / It's the only thing that there's just too little of” – What the World Needs Now is Love by Hal David/Burt Bacharach (sung here by Jackie DeShannon)
“A time of love, a time of hate / A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late” – Turn! Turn! Turn! by Pete Seeger (sung here by Judy Collins)
“Give me love / Give me love / Give me peace on earth” – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) by George Harrison
“Imagine all the people / Livin' life in peace” – Imagine by John Lennon
The quote itself varies, and we’re not sure who said it. Some say it’s “Those who cannot remember [or forget] the past are doomed [or condemned] to repeat it” (George Santayana). Others say it’s “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” (Winston Churchill).
Whichever it is, humans have done a wretched job of learning that war really is good for absolutely nothing. Musicians are pretty good at reminding the world about it.
Do you have a song about conflict that speaks to you? Please share.
Related reading:
“Start with what you want to say” and other tips for writing lyrics
“Story before rhyme” and other songwriting tips from The American Songwriter
Recently in the Red Jacket Diaries:
Gifts for writers and readers, 2023 edition
Yet more writing tips in links you might have missed, fall edition
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