Over the last three weeks, a series of tragic events have rattled the country. Black people targeted by a white supremacist in Buffalo, an Asian community here in southern California, and now children and their teacher in Texas. These are 3 of the 212 mass shootings that have happened in our country so far this year. Like many, I can’t find the words tonight. But I won’t need no word tonight, because…
When the course of deadly events is silencing my mouth, I turn to music.
When the weight of the world is heavier than my soul, I turn to music
When the concept of peace is torn apart so that the very idea of the future gets blurry;
I turn to music.
When the hope is gone and the waves of laughter have vanished
Only true poets will find their way
And bring me the only food my soul can receive:
A mere consolation of words and melodies
In anger and pain, frustration and sadness
I close my eyes
And I turn to music
Tonight these are some of the songs I turn to:
« Such a bad way to live (Such a bad way to live)
Oh, who is to blame? (Who is to blame?)
We can't stop living (When we can't stop living)
(Ohhh!) Live, (Live)
(Live for life) Live for life
(But let live everybody)
Live life for the children (Live life for the children!)
(Oh, for the Children!)
You see, let's...let's save the children
Let's...let's save all the children
(Save the babies! Save the babies!) »
- Marvin Gaye - Save the children
« There's something happening here
But what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound? »
- Buffalo Springfield - For what it’s worth
« Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’ »
- Bob Dylan - The times they are a-changin’
« Who's in a bunker? Who's in a bunker?
I have seen too much
I haven't seen enough, you haven't seen it
I'll laugh until my head comes off
Women and children first
And children first, and children »
- Radiohead - Idioteque
« Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today, yeah
Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, 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 » - Marvin Gaye - What’s going on?
« Goodbye Michelle, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time that I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye Michelle, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach »
- Nirvana (Jacques Brel / Rod Mckuen) - Seasons in the Sun
« It's been too hard living
But I'm afraid to die
'Cause I don't know what's up there
Beyond the sky
It's been a long
A long time coming
But I know a change gonna come
Oh, yes it will »
- Sam Cooke - A change is gonna come
« Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world »
- John Lennon - Imagine