“Not on my watch, oh not on my watch
Not while I'm around with all the love that I've got”
-Aloe Blaac
Hello, Good Friends,
A colleague fears that I limit my audience when I release songs with a social or political message. “Why can’t you just sing about things like love?” she asks. But love is what drives me to write and sing those songs in the first place. Think of how a parent demonstrates her love when their child is threatened. It’s fierce, powerful, and pure. I believe love caused Jesus to flip tables in the temple, because he was love. Love is driven to make things right. It does so through each of us. In our Big Blend Radio Podcast jukebox series, Lisa Smith and I discussed the looming mid-terms and decided to focus on Songs for Positive Change.
We suggest listening on MixCloud, because the songs are integrated into the show there. It’s on many streaming platforms, but you’ll need to go to the playlist to hear the songs.
Nina Simone is a great starting point. Her music came from deep in her soul. She has few peers in the way her piano and voice almost become one instrument. Her cover of Bernard Ighner’s “Everything Must Change” is a great example. The lyrics simply state the inevitability of change, which she emphasizes by demonstrating change in her vocal choices.
Tracy Chapman was in high school when she wrote “Talkin’ ‘bout a Revolution.” This song sets the tone for her self-titled first album, released in 1988, which impacted millions of people. She has always seemed wise, well beyond her years, with a profound weariness that permeates her playing, singing, lyrics and melodies. The anthem has been translated into different languages, energizing different causes since its release.
People claim that the anthem, “Change” by Blind Melon helped them become sober or quit smoking. It’s an iconic pep talk for accepting the need for change, holding onto dreams, and not listening to subversive voices.
Patti Smith says people have forgotten how to exercise their power. So, she and her husband Fred “Sonic” Smith wrote “People Have the Power.” a sensational anthem about our collective ability to “redeem the work of fools.” U2 performed it live, broadening its appeal, and Smith performed it at the 30th anniversary celebration of Democracy Now! with Bruce Springsteen and Michael Stipes.
My hubby Paco Silva and his SirenArts Productions partner Daniel Henry-Smith filmed a special version of the music video for Melissa Manchester’s moving anthem, “’Til We Remember Who We Are.” I sat down with her afterward to talk about the song, which Nancy Pelosi shared to celebrate newly elected female members of Congress. The full interview is in the podcast. You can watch the brand new “‘Till We Remember Who We Are” lyric video here.
Aloe Blaac’s “Not On My Watch” is a beautifully crafted song that gently but firmly calls us to action against injustice in favor of love and kindness. At one point he seamlessly references late US Congressman John Lewis’s admonition to get into “good trouble.” He packs so much into the song, but it never feels overwhelming. I personally relate to the verse where he talks about schoolyard bullies growing up to be neo-fascists. Spot on.
Our Big Blend Radio Community is mourning the loss of our brilliant colleague, musician Joey Stuckey. Joey wasn’t expected to live past childhood after a tumor was discovered in his brain. He persevered, though the ordeal left him blind, and with numerous physical challenges. He forged a great career as a Rock/Blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and fierce advocate for accessibility in the music industry. He and technicians found ways to facilitate recording and performance for blind musicians. Joey and I hung out at some Grammy® Week functions. His impact on the music world was obvious. His song, “One Song at a Time” reminds us that we all have unique songs to sing, art to create, books to write, or endless other ways to bring light to the world. You’ll find links to Joey’s work in the program notes.
Lisa and Nancy kindly chose my song, “Love Shines On” to close our episode today. It’s featured on my first album, Acoustic Remedy. Like many of my songs, it’s a statement of the transformative power of love. You can hear more about it in the podcast. Your love certainly shines on in my life. Thank you for connecting here.
If you’ve received texts or emails about the “Next Star” campaign, I should confess that I didn’t read the details of the contest carefully. I thought there were just judges who might award me $10,000 and a slot to perform at the iHeart Radio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles. While there’s a judging component, the primary focus is a public voting fundraiser for Musicians on Call. I don’t like bugging people for things like this. I’m currently in fourth place, in Round Four. To be honest, this goes on with several more rounds throughout November. I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known that. You can vote for free once per day. To my surprise, several of you paid extra to add votes. You’re amazing. I deeply appreciate it, but I’m plenty grateful for the free votes for those who have time, especially since they require an email address and phone number.
If you received this, you’ve expressed interest in my music at some point. I’m so glad you’re here, but if you’d rather unsubscribe, I completely understand. You can do so below. There’s a lot more music coming soon. So, I hope you’ll stick around.