Tag Archives: song

Redemption Song

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slide-guitarist-roberto-luti-livorno-italy

A global music effort is underway by a diverse group of musicians and singers known as Playing For Change. Their videos, available on YouTube, are a wonderful collection of memorable songs played in very personal contributions from locations around the world.

The musicianship is outstanding, and the overall feeling is of shared truths and personal connection. Watching videos such as Redemption Song and Stand by Me made me feel connected and a part of the joy that music and community brings.

The amazing slide guitar work of Roberto Luti and olde tyme stylings of Grandpa Elliott are just a small slice of this delightful collection.

redemption song

Redemption Song was the first music video I listened to by Playing For Change. I was struck by the careful and elegant combining of each musician, and by the words of Bob Marley's song.

The powerful lyrics can speak to almost everyone in North America and Europe, where instead of a slavery theme, the words can speak to a loss of minds and time to the wheels of commerce.

What will we forward to our next generation? Will it be a further focus on wealth and material goods? Will it be the joys of community, music and shared good works?  How will we redeem our generation and make the world better for the next?

 

Redemption Song lyrics

Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look? Ooh
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfil the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever have
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our mind
Woh, have no fear for atomic energy
'Cause none of them-a can-a stop-a the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look?
Yes, some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fullfill the book
Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom?
'Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs
All I ever had
Redemption songs
These songs of freedom
Songs of freedom

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Know and Show your Heart

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Taylor-Swift
Taylor Swift is a talented and insightful musician

In a recent song by Taylor Swift, a young woman laments that her guy-friend cannot see that she would make a great girlfriend.

The song, titled “You Belong with Me“, is beautifully written, with a simple, down home beginning and a strong, soaring finale.

Listening to the song it is easy to ask, “Why is this guy so blind to what is right in front of him?”

As the singer narrates, the young man is attracted — as our society encourages — to a different woman, a fancier woman, who wears short skirts and high heels. The downside? His current girlfriend doesn’t get his sense of humor, like his music, or have a clue what his story really is.

Is this situation a surprise to anyone?

In an age where fashion and entertainment are key elements of society, many people fall prey to the Emperor’s new clothes. Both men and women are besieged with images of glamor and persistent promises of happiness through ownership and how we look. We are told, repeatedly and every day, what’s in right now and what to buy to be cool.

But as most people learn, pursuing what is cool is an endlessly moving target — achieved for brief shiny moments — and driven largely by companies intent on slimming our wallets as they sculpt our look.  Fashion can be fun, but it can mask who we really are, and keep us from what might really make us happy.

In Taylor’s song, the young woman wishes her friend would see how she is a better match for him, but she does not directly tell him.  She is exasperated by his failure to see her true heart and value, but is either too shy or too proud to tell him.

This is an unfortunate side-effect of a culture encouraged to surpass and achieve more — where honesty and humility are valued, but less than we deserve.

[Note: In the music video for the song, the song’s two characters do communicate better, passing “text” messages by writing on pads of paper.]

“You Belong with Me” is a wake-up call about valuing the people in our lives, and a reminder for all of us — to know and show our own hearts — to let our real self show through the fashion and possessions.

If every last shred of designer-wear were to disappear from Earth, we might look a little less fancy, but we would more clearly know and show ourselves.

It is the heart of each person that we need to recognize and care about.

Know your heart. Show your heart.

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