protest songs | Lucky Otters Haven

The lyrics to this classic rock song by The Byrds are the words of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 set to music.

3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

²A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

³A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

⁴A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

⁵A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

⁶A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

⁷A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

⁸A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

*****

This was intended as an anti-war song during the Vietnam years, but now is not the time for Americans to expect peace. The sixties seem like a vastly happier and simpler time during these dark days. So do the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Hell, even the first decade of the 2000s seem like a simpler time in comparison to now.

I have no idea what is going to happen, or if we can come out of this in one piece as a nation, but hiding our heads in the sand not the answer. We have been apathetic and complacent for way too long and it’s come to this. Our freedom and the Constitution itself is at stake, not to mention the safety of civilization and the planet. We must take a stand because hiding from it isn’t going to make it go away. Putting an end to the reign of this control freak demagogue and his minions is our patriotic duty. Nine days in and he’s done untold damage already. The protests taking place in all the large airports and the court ruling that the Muslim detainees be freed give me hope. Maybe there are still a few checks and balances to keep this monster at bay.

I think a mental health evaluation (with results made publicly available) should be a requirement for all incoming presidents. I cannot believe the things that come out of his mouth. The man is clearly a malignant narcissist who cares only about his ego and nothing more.

monday_melody

Janis Ian, a singer-songwriter whose most well known song was 1975’s hit “At Seventeen,” recorded a much lesser known hit when she was just 16 years old, called “Society’s Child.” Sadly, this song has mostly been forgotten. The last time I heard it played on any radio station was probably in the late 1970s. Classic rock stations don’t play it because it doesn’t really qualify as rock. But the song is a masterpiece, both musically and lyrically. Fortunately, someone was able to get this technologically impressive (for its time) video of Janis singing the song live in 1967 on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

“Society’s Child” has an interesting background. Janis actually wrote the song at the age of 15, imagining a white high school girl dating a black boy and having to deal with her parents’ and teachers’ disapproval of anyone “not of our own kind.” In the song, the girl is forced to end her relationship with her boyfriend because of the prejudice so common at the time (and that unfortunately never really went away).

Janis Ian said she received death threats due to the controversial lyrics, and many radio stations refused to play the song. But she continued to perform it live throughout the years and still does to this day, at the age of 64.

I think Janis looks absolutely stunning in this video, and she really gets lost in the emotion of the song. Maybe it’s only because of the superior quality of the video but it’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact this was taped almost 50 years ago. But there’s a definite innocence there you just don’t see in modern singers.