Songs of Hope and Peace

Subject: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 01:57 PM

In these days of unhappiness, yea, dispair I thought it would be at least somewhat comforting to single out songs that are meant to give us hope and a motivation for peace.One of the most beautiful of such songs, IMO, is Julie Gold's "From a Distance" sung here by the inimitable Judy Collins.

Click here

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: oldhippie
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 07:10 PM

One of my favorites is

"Make It So" - David Rovics

download here:
http://www.last.fm/user/vallerey

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 09:12 PM

oldhippie: a very nice song indeed.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 12:48 AM

One I love: youtube.

Neat idea for a thread!

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 09:47 AM

My all-time favourite group of old-time music! Great stuff. My uncle had just about every one of their records and that's how I came to love their singing.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 01:31 PM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 01:38 PM

Buddy Can You Spare A Billion

East Texas Red

Talking Union

The Bugs Crawl In

Rye Whiskey

Blood On The Saddle

When You're Bloody Well Dead

Meadowlands

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 06:00 PM

I meant to say that "hope and peace" are secured in various ways--often in unlikely situations. Dramatic necessity often dictates. East Texas Red deprived the hobos of basic necessities of life---food. They returned a year later and secured a measure of justice when they killed him. (Not unlike the tale of The Green Knight.) Peace was secured for the moment. Hope for the future, in the moment, for themselves and other 'bos, was a relative reality.
So both ideals were served.

Talking Union's ideals needed confrontation before momentary hope and peace might be a reality.

The Bugs Crawl In takes note of the peace of the grave---a reality for us all. Hope, after all, as Studs Terkel noted in his last book's title, dies last.

Blood On The Saddle reeks of the irony that this guy should never have climbed up on that horse until he did "know his song well before he started singing." -- Here's classic tragedy -- a result of our own actions in the end. He found peace and lost all hope in the same instant.

In Rye Whiskey his momentary Hope and Peace are both found in his bottle.

(Also, all of these, like all songs, actually, are love songs if you look between the lines.)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: katlaughing
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 06:30 PM

Classic Art...looking between and beyond. Thanks for the explanations.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Beer
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 06:56 PM

There are so many tom. But I just finished listening to "Silent Night" in this case sung by Jim Reeves.
Adrien

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: breezy
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 07:12 PM

Try 'A Song of Peace' by Chris Flegg

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Beer
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 07:54 PM

About 15 years ago I was at a seminar and we were doing "Inner Child Workshops". There was a song by Shaina Noll went like this:

"How could anyone ever tell you
you were anything less than beautiful…
how could anyone ever tell you
you were less than whole…
how could anyone fail to notice
that your loving is a miracle…
how deeply you're connected to my soul…"

I found a short music clip and hopefully it will work on this paste.

http://www.silverlakemusic.com/songsinner.mp3

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 09:07 PM

Art: Whew! Thanks for the explanation! I thought we had been struck by a major thread drift! Once explained ,I see your reasoning. Fascinating and clever.

Beer: That's a really nice song. I'll try to find the rest of it. If you find it, please send it along.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Art Thieme
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 10:01 PM

Tom---I thought it best to leave the list of songs there for a day or so before I added how I thought those songs fit as songs of hope and peace.

As with love songs, addiction is often part of love, and Rye Whiskey is about his love for the bottle---and maybe his hope to, very soon, find those whisky steams on the Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Art

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Beer
Date: 13 Dec 08 - 10:49 PM

Art I understand your explanation of your song list and as tom has mentioned it is fascinating and clever. Now i don't want to drift to much from this great thread but I want to express another point of view on the song "East Texas Red". This number I love to sing but I would rate it as "Sweet Revenge " and not of Hope nor Peace.
Beer (Adrien)

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: cetmst
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 07:56 AM

I have compiled a list of songs I consider anti-war songs. Many of them either state or imply that peace is preferable or even attainable:

At the Elbe, Fred Small                     
Ballad of the Soldier's Wife, Brecht/Weill
Band Played Waltzing Matilda, Eric Bogle
Before the War, Sydney Carter
Between the Wars, Bill Bragg
Christmas in the Trenches, John McCutcheon
Come Seamus and Ivy, Meg Davis
Come Away Melinda, Hellerman/Minkoff
Cranes Over Hiroshima, Fred Small      
Dancing At Whitsun, John Austin Marshall
Song about the saving of Denmark's Jews (title?)
Dona Nobis Pacem
Flowers of the Forest
From a Distance, Julie Gold
Give Peace a Chance, Lennon and McCartney
Green Fields of France, Eric Bogle
Green Grass of Shiloh, Beers Family
Hills of Shiloh, Shel Silverstein
Hoe, the Gun or the Guitar, The (author?)
House of Orange, Stan Rogers
I Ain't a-Marching Any More, Phil Ochs
I Come and Stand at Every Door (Dead Girl of Hiroshima) Nazim Hikmet
Journey, The, Linda Allen
Joy, Love and Peace
Kiri's Piano, James Keelaghan
Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream
Let Those Who Want to Fight, Fight
Let the Band Play Dixie
Mothers, Daightrs, Wives, Judy Small
Never Again Shall We Allow Another Atomic Bomb to Fall
No Mas
No More Vietnams, Fred Small
Pacem in Terres
Peacable Kingdom
Peace Call, Woody Guthrie
Peace Is, Fred Small
Peace Dragon, Fred Small
Peace Round, Jean Ritchie
Peace Will Come, Tom Paxton
Rosemary's Sister, Huw Williams
Study War No More
Take Off Your Clothes, Mark Levy
There Is More Peace Somewhere
Universsal Soldier, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Wall, The (Vietnam Memorial)
Walls and Windows, Judy Small/Pat Humphries
War, Chief Joseph
When Johnny Comes Marching Home
When the Lady Mary Sails
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
With God On Our Side, Dylan

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: oldhippie
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 10:25 AM

cetmst,
there are two songs titled "The Wall". One is the song sung by John McDermott among others, the other is by Doug Spartz. To which are you referring?
I would also add "The Ballad of Penny Evans" to your list.

Subject: Lyr Add: PASSING THROUGH (Erelli & Curtis)
From: oldhippie
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 10:33 AM

Topical Tom,
I have a couple more songs to add:

Lyrics Add:

PASSING THROUGH
Catie Curtis
words and music by Mark Erelli and Catie Curtis c2006
from the album "Long Night Moon"

We are passing this world on to our kids
From the day when they climb from their cribs
We'll try and teach them well, show them that they're loved
But in the end, all we can do is hope our best was good enough
They'll witness how this life can be so beautiful and cruel
We can't shelter them forever but if we show them all the tools
They might leave this world in a little better shape than me and you
We are only passing through

Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through
Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through

We are watching this world from our living rooms
Near forty years since we walked on the moon
This big blue ball is shrinking and I don't know if that's good
But for better or for worse now this whole world's our neighborhood
And there's no place left to run to, to stay above the fray
We better learn to get along not just to get our way
Not only for each other but our children's children too
We are only passing through

Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through
Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through

And I wonder sometimes what will I pass on
How much can one voice do with just a song
Sometimes injustice and indifference are all that I see
But I refuse to let my hope become the latest casualty
So I'll sing of love and truth and try to practice what I preach
If I can't change the world, I'll change the world within my reach
What better place to start than here and now with me and you
We are only passing through

Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through
Passing through, passing through
We are only passing through
We are only passing through


There is also another song of Hope & Peace titled "Harmony" by Monique Hill of the band "Horizon Blue". I don't have the lyrics at hand, but I'll see if I can post them later.

Subject: Lyr Add: THERE'S A WALL IN WASHINGTON (Iris DeMent
From: Beer
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 11:35 AM

There is also this One:

THERE'S A WALL IN WASHINGTON (Iris DeMent)
(c) 1996 Songs of Iris ASCAP

There's a wall in Washington
and it's made of cold black granite
They say 60,000 names are etched there in it
in that wall in Washington

A father, he traveled from far away
to walk the path 'til he finds that name
He reaches his hand up and traces each letter
The tears they fall as his memories gather
for the boy who filled his heart with pride
is now but a name that's been etched
in the side of this wall in Washington

A mother she traveled from far away
to walk the path 'til she finds that name
She reaches her hand up and traces each letter
The tears they fall as her memories gather
She feels the baby at her breast
but her heart it breaks because all that is left
is this wall in Washington

A boy, he traveled from far away
to walk the path 'til he finds that name
He reaches his hand up and traces each letter
He stares at the name of his unknown father
His heart is young and it's filled with pain
in anger he cries out

"Who is to blame for this wall in Washington
that's made of cold black granite?
Why is my father's name etched here in it
in this wall in Washington?"

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: cetmst
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 01:47 PM

"The Wall", words and music by Olin Murrell of Austin Texas, copyright 1987, Honey Locust Music, words and music in "Sing Out!" v. 34, #1, p72, Winter 1989, recorded on his cassette "Coming Home", Honey Locust Records 1793 Pine Knoll, Austin, Texas 78758. I probably transcribed it from Mary Cliff's Traditions show back about then. There is likely some further information somewhere but my wife is just leaving to sing in her Christmas concert.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 02:14 PM

Thanks to all. There are many songs that I have not heard yet so I will get to them as soon as I can. "There is a Wall in Washington" I have heard perhaps once, a great song. "Passing Through" I am more familiar with, another great one. More are welcome.

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: topical tom
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 02:15 PM

Sorry, I meant to thank oldhippie for that great list. Wonderful!

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: GUEST,Elmore
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 10:42 AM

" How Beautiful Upon the Mountain" by Tom Paxton"

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Suffet
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 04:18 PM

Next Year in a City of Peace

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 05:12 PM

Song about the saving of Denmark's Jews (title?) - post by cetmst

another Fred Small song - back in the days when we had a regular weekly singing session, before the new Publican "improved" the shabby old pub, one of our regulars used to sing this song. I tried to find it's title & lyrics but couldn't.

it's a great song.

sandra

Subject: Lyr Add: HARMONY (Monique Hill)
From: oldhippie
Date: 15 Dec 08 - 06:51 PM

Harmony
Monique Hill
(transcribed from the CD "Something For Your Ears")


This could be the beginning
Or this could be the end
The choice is up to you my friend
Tell me, what is it gonna be
And in my crystal vision
I can see a better place
Where man and earth exist as one
In the human race

Living in harmony
Making it work together
Living in harmony
It could be paradise forever
If we only lived together
In harmony

Just take a look around you
There's a lot of work to do
No longer can we close our eyes
It's time to make a change
Time to heal the damage done
By the wasteful ones
Standing tall, we can cure it all
But only if we try

Living in harmony
Making it work together
Living in harmony
It could be paradise forever
If we only lived together
In harmony

The poison spreads around us
But we hope we can survive
The power is within us
To keep this world alive

Living in harmony
Making it work together
Living in harmony
This could be paradise forever
If we only lived together
In harmony

In harmony

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: cetmst
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 09:14 AM

Google "Fred Small Lyrics", "Denmark 1943"

Subject: RE: Songs of Hope and Peace
From: Willa
Date: 17 Dec 08 - 01:37 PM

Keep you in Peace by Sarah Morgan. It's based on a traditional Irish blessing.