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Building Blocks for Peace. Image Credit: UN
(Originally published on 09/21/16)
By Patrick Haverman- On the 21st September every year is the International Day of Peace. In what has been a turbulent year on the international stage, maybe more than before it’s important that we stand still for a moment and give some thought to the fact that there is much more in life that connects all human beings than divides us.
Unfortunately, there are still wars and conflict raging over the planet.
A couple of years ago I started juggling for peace, hoping that by inspiring more people to juggle we could bring more joy to the world.
This year, I was playing around with Apple playlists, and was inspired by some people who had created playlists of Peace Songs.
There is something about music that seems to make it the perfect partner for social change. Music has the power to move us and inspire us. It can bring about change and make a difference. The power of music was one of the dynamic topics discussed in Beijing at the Social Good Summit last Sunday.
Let me share with you today, on this 21st September, my own 21 favourite songs about peace. I hope that by listening to some of these songs we can soften our thoughts, continue dialogues and look for peaceful solutions that do not include violence.
It may be unrealistic but to me, worthwhile dreaming about from time to time.
Happy Peace Day 2016!
SONGS OF PEACE
1. Imagine – John Lennon
These songs are in no particular order but my favourite song about peace has to be “Imagine” by John Lennon. Lennon was asking us to imagine a place where the things that divide people (religion, possessions, etc.) did not exist, and would be a much better place because of it.This song is a strong political message, wrapped in a beautiful melody. Lennon realized that a softer approach would bring the song to a wider audience, who hopefully would listen to his message.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1094
2. What is Going On – Marvin Gaye
Gaye's lyrics in this song were inspired by the stories his brother Frankie told him when he came back from the Vietnam War. The album is told from the point of view of a veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing only hatred, suffering, and injustice. Gaye's introspective lyrics discuss themes of drug abuse, poverty, and the Vietnam War.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1547 or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_Going_On_(Marvin_Gaye_album)
3. Heal the world – Michael Jackson
"Heal the world" is a song about love, care and need. Michael Jackson sings to appeal to people to give their love and care to the children who are suffering from wars and poverty, making the world a better and warmer place to live. It's a moving song and lights the hope of the future for needy children. During a chat on an internet forum in 2001, Jackson said this song about man's inhumanity to his fellow man is the one he is proudest to have created.
http://www.academia.edu/10523521/Analysis_of_Heal_The_World_Song_Lyric
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=16061
4. One love / people get ready – Bob Marley & the wailers
Marley's idea was that everyone in the world should stop fighting and become one - a similar sentiment to John Lennon's "Imagine" and George Harrison's "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)." There is, however, a deeper meaning behind the song than a simple call for unity. Some of the lyrics are about oppression and how sinners will pay for their evil deeds in the end. For many listeners, the deeper message is lost in the overwhelming chorus.
It was very violent time in his country, and Marley tried to stay politically neutral while offering peace and shelter however he could.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3909
5. Redemption song – Bob Marley
The song urges listeners to "Emancipate yourself from mental slavery," because "None but ourselves can free our minds." This song drew from the works of the civil-rights campaigner Marcus Garvey. Bono (U2) called it the small ax that could fell the big tree.' The song reminded me that freedom always comes with a cost, but for those who would prepare to pay it, maybe ‘emancipation from mental slavery’ would be our reward.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redemption_Song
6. Why can’t we live together – Sade (Originally Timmy Thomas)
Thomas recalled the story of the song to Spin; "I was sitting in my study, and I heard the radio. I'll never forget this. He said, '35,000 Viet Cong died today, 15,000 Americans.' I said 'WHAT?! You mean that many mothers' children died today? In a war that we can't come to the table and sit down and talk about this, without so many families losing their loved ones?' I said, 'Why can't we live together?'"
"Bing! That light went off. And I started writing it then. 'No more wars, we want peace in this world, and no matter what color, you're still my brother.' And then after that, put it on this little tape, and went to WEBF, which was a local radio station. And they played local artists then… they played it, and the phones lit up. They said 'Man, who is that?'"
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=38274
7. Blowin’ in the wind – Bob Dylan
Although it has been described as a protest song, it poses a series of rhetorical questions about peace, war and freedom. The refrain "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" has been described as "impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind".
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blowin%27_in_the_Wind
8. War – Frankie goes to Hollywood (Edwin Starr Originally)
This is a protest song about the Vietnam War, although it makes a broader statement of the need for harmony in our everyday lives.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1029
9. Somewhere over the rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo’ole (Judy Garland Originally)
"Over the Rainbow" (often referred to as "Somewhere over the Rainbow") is a ballad, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz (1939). Dorothy's Aunt Em tells her to "find yourself a place where you won't get into any trouble". This prompts Dorothy to walk off by herself, musing to Toto, "'Some place where there isn't any trouble.' Do you suppose there is such a place, Toto? There must be. It's not a place you can get to by a boat, or a train. It's far, far away. Behind the moon, beyond the rain...", at which point she begins singing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_Rainbow
10. We got to have peace – Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield was known for introducing social consciousness into African-American music. He witnessed many of the tragedies of the urban ghetto first hand, and was quoted saying “With everything I saw on the streets as a young black kid, it wasn’t hard during the later fifties and sixties for me to write my heartfelt way of how I visualized things, how I thought things ought to be.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Mayfield
11. Peace train – Cat Stevens
"Musically, I was revisiting a very Greek-sounding riff - the kind of thing you'd hear on a Greek island. The words were attached to that time, my peace anthem. It ended every show that I did and was quite a show stopper. It was a very important song for me because it stated one of the big goals of my life which was heading straight for that peace."
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=286
12. Power to the people – John Lennon & Plastic Ono Band
"Power to the People" was a popular phrase in the 1960s and early '70. It indicated a need for individuals to take control from governments and institutions, which is something Lennon advocated.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=18277
13. Not ready to make nice – Dixie Chicks
Controversy erupted over the Dixie Chicks in 2003 following a critical comment vocalist Natalie Maines made of the American President George W. Bush while performing in a concert in London, United Kingdom. In relation to the forthcoming invasion of Iraq, Maines said, "...we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas." The controversy, and the band's reaction to it, is the major theme of "Not Ready to Make Nice". The song, which was written by all three band members is a statement of how they feel over the controversy, the banning of their songs from country music radio stations, and freedom of speech.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Ready_to_Make_Nice
14. Give peace a chance - John Lennon
This was recorded May 31, 1969 at a "Bed-In" Lennon staged in room 1472 of Queen Elizabeth's Hotel in Montreal. John and Yoko stayed in bed for eight days, beginning on May 26, in an effort to promote world peace. They got a great deal of media attention, which is exactly what they wanted to promote their cause.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1111
15. Love Train – The O’Jays
The lyrics make a call for unity and world peace, mentioning England, Russia, China, Egypt, Israel, and Africa. Relevant today as well.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=23570
16. (What’s so funny about) Peace – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Lowe told The A.V. Club that this song started out as a joke: "I wrote the song in 1973, and the hippie thing was going out, and everyone was starting to take harder drugs and rediscover drink. Alcohol was coming back, and everyone sort of slipped out of the hippie dream and into a more cynical and more unpleasant frame of mind. And this song was supposed to be an old hippie, laughed at by the new thinking, saying to these new smarty-pants types, 'Look, you think you got it all going on. You can laugh at me, but all I'm saying is, 'What's so funny about peace, love, and understanding?'' And that was the idea of the song. But I think as I started writing it, something told me it was too good idea to make it into a joke. It was originally supposed to be a joke song, but something told me there was a little grain of wisdom in this thing, and not to mess it up."
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=14266
17. Last night I had the strangest dream – Simon and Garfunkel (Ed McCurdy Originally)
The song is about the dream of war to come to an end. His most well-known song was the anti-war "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream", written in 1950.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_McCurdy
18. Miss Sarajevo – U2
The song is about how the people of Sarajevo deal with war. Proceeds from the single went to the War Child charity.
http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=957
19. Love Song to the earth – Paul McCarthy, Jon Bon Jovi
A song with the power to fight climate change and maybe even change the world.
Some of the world’s biggest names in music have joined voices to inspire real action on climate change, and to support the United Nations’ call for a meaningful, universal climate agreement in Paris this December.
http://lovesongtotheearth.org/#about
20. We shall overcome – Pete Seegers
"We Shall Overcome" is a protest song that became a key anthem of the African-American Civil Rights movement. The song is most commonly attributed as having descended from "I'll Overcome Some Day", a hymn by Charles Albert Tindley that was first published in 1901.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Shall_Overcome
21. Save the world – Swedish house mafia
We wanted to make something that sums everything up after a two- or three-hour DJ set. It connects everybody to something pretty emotional and uplifting. We wanted our own end of the night track, and that was the idea behind "Save the World". We got this vocal from John Martin, and it was awesome to work with. It was a pleasure structuring the track with all of the parts. The challenge that we had was to make it energetic enough. Sometimes, when there are so many melodies, instruments, and vocals, it's hard to make the track uplifting. However, we managed to get the energy in there.
