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ACCORDING TO LIZ - Raise a prayer that Marley’s Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future put in long sessions and extra hours at the White House last week.
And that, if not entirely there yet, its present Denizen-in-Chief has started down the path to embracing humanity, of turning over whole piles of leaves, to truly bring back America the Great.
But it’s up to each of us to do our own part.
Start by embracing the power of song to raise your spirits. Turn to what moves you the most. To give surcease from today’s pain and motivate action to help move yourself and those around you into a more positive and hopeful future.
For some, that solace and inspiration comes from spirituals and hymns. Others turn to folk ballads and the popular music of their time with verse and tunes that tap into the current angst, ones that reach deeply into their very souls.
Who could forget the song first performed for the funeral of the Norwegian composer’s mother but spread to international acclaim with its haunting melody and powerful lyrics?
“When I am down, and, oh, my soul so weary
When troubles come and my heart burdened be
Then I am still and wait here in the silence
Until you come and sit awhile with me
“You raise me up so I can stand on mountains
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas
I am strong when I am on your shoulders
You raise me up to more than I can be”
Or Bette Midler in the movie Beaches:
“Did I ever tell you you're my hero?
You're everything, everything I wish I could be.
Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,
for you are the wind beneath my wings,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.”
Then there are the songs of the labor movement, songs of protest going back generations… against slavery, wars, the corporatocracy.
From Woody Guthrie to Pete Seeger, from “We Shall Not Be Moved” to “Sixteen Tons” and the Buffalo Springfield song that starts out “There's something happening here,” from “Blowin’ in the Wind” to “Give Peace a Chance,” from “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” to “Go Down Moses” – these are the voices of people in pain lifted in hope to inspire a better future.
And now recent events have inspired new ballads for today such as Jim Cuddy’s “We Used to Be the Best of Friends” decrying the division Trump has rent between the United States and Canada. The poignancy of some of his stanzas echo the sadness of two friends torn apart by circumstances unimaginable a year ago.
“Oh no
What went wrong
Used to be the singers in a two-part song
Guess all good things come to an end…
“It broke our hearts when the towers came down
Tears and blood pushed underground
Came down singing for the city to mend
Used to be the best of friends
“Things got bad and god knows why
Give us a call when the fever ends
Used to be the best of friends”
But let’s usher out this old year and welcome in the new with more hope and determination, perhaps best epitomized in the closing cantos of “The Best That I Can Be,” Edgy Productions’ children’s song from 2024:
“Many places yet to see,
Many friends I’ve yet to meet,
And many possible paths lie at my feet.
And yes, there’ll be some twists and some turns,
But in my heart, there’s a fire that burns.
My mind is open and I’m ready to learn,
And face the challenges of life,
With my shoulders back and my head held high. I’m…
“Gonna treat every new day just like an adventure.
Gonna make the most of every opportunity.
Gonna make every new day a day to remember
Gonna be no less than the best that I can be.
“As I stand on the starting line,
I feel so heavy with expectation.
But I have you standing by my side,
And now I know I can fly!”
(Liz Amsden is a former Angeleno now living in Vermont and a regular CityWatch contributor. She writes on issues she’s passionate about, including social justice, government accountability, and community empowerment. Liz brings a sharp, activist voice to her commentary and continues to engage with Los Angeles civic affairs from afar. She can be reached at [email protected].)
