Every once in awhile you hear a song that changes the way you look at something. Brett Dennen is an artist that does this for me. He has a number of songs that preach for a different world. For something to change. I am hearing him right now. His song Make you Crazy (Feat. Femi Kuti) makes me want to change the world. In a very subtle way. It tells me a few things that are wrong with this world. Maybe we all should listen.
You Know, It`s hard to be Yourself,
Free Yourself, To see Yourself,
When all around You there are Lies just to get You,
Spies just to get You, To Buy so they can get You…
There are Cameras in the sky, Lasers in our Living rooms,
There are Wolves watching wearing Sheep`s Costumes…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy (woah)
It`s Enough to make You Mad…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy (woah)
And, I`m amazed I Haven`t yet…
Isn`t It, A Shame The way We cheat Each other, Treat Each other, Beat Each other…?
It`s, A Shame The way We use One other, Abuse One another…
And, Screw One another, It`s true.
They will Lock You up in Prison, But They won`t call it slavery, There are stolen Children raised and Trained in Armies…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy (woah)
It`s Enough to make You Mad…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy (woah)
And I`m amazed I haven`t yet…
Don`t hesitate to speak Your Mind… (speak Your Mind)
Never hesitate to speak Your Heart… (speak Your Heart)
They`ll call You crazy, When You speak Your Mind… (When You speak Your Mind)
So never, Never hesitate… (never hesitate)
`cause It`s Enough to make You go crazy… (woah)
It`s Enough to make You Mad…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy (woah)
And, I`m amazed I haven`t yet…
[Femi solo…]
Na sol Them go lock You for Prison…
Na sol Them go beat You for Prison…
Them No call it slavery…
It`s him That make Me vex…
Na sol Them go lock You for Prison…
Na sol Them go beat You for Prison…
It`s him That make Me vex…
It`s him That make Me craze…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy… (woah)
It`s Enough to make You Mad…
It`s Enough to make You go crazy… (woah)
And, I`d be crazy Not to Care…
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Greatest
I always wondered what it would be like to see some of the most famous speeches in our time. I got into a conversation about the greatest orator of all time. We both picked one from the same generation, JFK and MLK. Obviously amazing speakers. It then proceeded into a debate about who is better, JFK or MLK. We eventually decided on differences were the parts that made them great.
The conversation didn't end there for me, as I brought this subject back up with another group of people this morning and the conversation took a different turn. How do you judge something like this? When you say all-time, do you mean all-time? I was really only thinking of people I have heard. It never occurred to me to think of figures such as Jesus Christ, Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Aristole, Julius Ceasar, just to name a few that came up. That is a whole other ball game. It also got me thinking about some of the great public speakers that are never noticed for their greatness based on what they created, like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Are they discredited based on their actions?
So I have spent some time today, listening to some of the "great" speeches of the modern era (whatever I could get audio for). I have to limit myself to this based on limitations of making a qualified judgment. These clips included the following: JFK, MLK, Winston Churchill, FDR, Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Malcolm X. These are just a few but are a group that some look at as the greatest. Are they? Absolutely.
Who is the best? Almost impossible to say, but if you go off one speech and one alone, the answer is clear, Martin Luther King Jr. There is no doubt that his "I have a dream" speech, is one of the single most inspirational pieces of our time. The power, the belief, the message, it all comes together in this moment in time. Add in the cultural significance of the speech and he wins. This differs from my preference in the original "greatest" conversation. I said JFK, and I may still believe that in a whole body of work way, but MLK dominated this moment.
It is not lost on me that the top two for me are people from an era of great social change. The people are the ones that give power to speeches and those in power. So, to even be considered among the elite in this category, you have to have something to say to the people. There has to be a reason for them to believe you. That is just the substance, but delivery matters just as much, you have to have presence.
I love speeches and everything they bring to a world. These are real moments in time. I envy every single person who saw MLK in front of the Lincoln Memorial, JFK at the Capital building, FDR in congress, and many others. These moments were powerful. One day, President Obama's inauguration may be looked at in the same light. These are the ones that have stood the test of time in many peoples eyes. Even today the messages of these wonderful people still have an impact. They matter today.
It may be impossible to quantify the greatest orator of all time. Everyone has their day and their moment. MLK is just the winner today.
The conversation didn't end there for me, as I brought this subject back up with another group of people this morning and the conversation took a different turn. How do you judge something like this? When you say all-time, do you mean all-time? I was really only thinking of people I have heard. It never occurred to me to think of figures such as Jesus Christ, Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Aristole, Julius Ceasar, just to name a few that came up. That is a whole other ball game. It also got me thinking about some of the great public speakers that are never noticed for their greatness based on what they created, like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Are they discredited based on their actions?
So I have spent some time today, listening to some of the "great" speeches of the modern era (whatever I could get audio for). I have to limit myself to this based on limitations of making a qualified judgment. These clips included the following: JFK, MLK, Winston Churchill, FDR, Maya Angelou, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Malcolm X. These are just a few but are a group that some look at as the greatest. Are they? Absolutely.
Who is the best? Almost impossible to say, but if you go off one speech and one alone, the answer is clear, Martin Luther King Jr. There is no doubt that his "I have a dream" speech, is one of the single most inspirational pieces of our time. The power, the belief, the message, it all comes together in this moment in time. Add in the cultural significance of the speech and he wins. This differs from my preference in the original "greatest" conversation. I said JFK, and I may still believe that in a whole body of work way, but MLK dominated this moment.
It is not lost on me that the top two for me are people from an era of great social change. The people are the ones that give power to speeches and those in power. So, to even be considered among the elite in this category, you have to have something to say to the people. There has to be a reason for them to believe you. That is just the substance, but delivery matters just as much, you have to have presence.
I love speeches and everything they bring to a world. These are real moments in time. I envy every single person who saw MLK in front of the Lincoln Memorial, JFK at the Capital building, FDR in congress, and many others. These moments were powerful. One day, President Obama's inauguration may be looked at in the same light. These are the ones that have stood the test of time in many peoples eyes. Even today the messages of these wonderful people still have an impact. They matter today.
It may be impossible to quantify the greatest orator of all time. Everyone has their day and their moment. MLK is just the winner today.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Why I Love the 1920's
There is so much to love about the roaring 20's. It is really hard to dislike that era for everything that it brought us. The opportunity of the 20's is infectious. The style and romantic nature of the culture is stunning. The presidents had great names (Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover...who knows why Harding's first and last initial are not the same). Everyone had great names. To purchase alcohol was illegal, but it seems that is all anyone did. The Lost Generation inspired millions. Music was a way of life. And Baseball was Baseball.
Whenever you hear about the 20's, usually the first thing anyone thinks of is Gangsters. True, old school, Gangsters. And not Gangstas, but Gangsters. Al Capone style. This culture is romanticized but who really cares, it some cool shit. Of course, we can thank our own government (Shocking, i know) for the Organized Crime boon. Thank you Prohibition. I love the idea of Tommy Guns men in suits and fedoras. Maybe I am just that romantic, but I enjoy the idea of what that culture brought. It was fight or flight. It was gritty and real. People like Al Capone took advantage wherever they could. They bribed, they killed, they stole, and it didn't matter because everyone wanted the booze.
To go right along with all of that would be the clip joints and speakeasy that would go right along with it. Flappers and the Lost Generation. The Charleston. The flash. The Style. Even the language was fantastic. What I love most about the flappers, was their rebellious nature. That made them sexy. Do I even need to mention what they did for women? Of course I do. They changed the way the world looked at women. They gained independence. Not fully, but lets be honest, this was unheard of in this time. Did I mention the language? Oh and the music they would listen to.
Jazz is one of greatest forms of music to be played. The improv, the power, the feeling behind every single note. It helps that Louis Armstrong is one of the greatest musicians to walk this earth. No Joke. Just listen to this song...Kiss to build a dream on. You really don't get much better than that. He was so influential and well, damn good. The era of libertarianism craved the jazz and music only profited from it. There is no Frank Sinatra without a little Louis Armstrong. This era is not limited to Mr. Armstrong though as there is also Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, King Oliver, and many many more. Jazz has inspired so many. And the 20's are certainly not the same without it.
Amazing, classic novels were written in this time. Writers like Fitzgerald and Steinbeck were the voice of an entire generation. Books like Winesburg, Ohio (though published in 1919), Manhattan Transfer, and The Great Gatsby spoke to millions. They still do today.
Baseball was pure. I say pure in the sense that there wasn't much mistrust in the players. They were Gods. They were everybody's hero. The True. All fabrications when you look back at the Black Sox Scandal from 1919 and the fact that Ty Cobb was the dirtiest SOB to ever play the game. Babe Ruth was a womanizing piece of work. The fix was in everywhere you looked. But it was pure. It was Baseball. It was real, powerful, and meaningful. It was America's pastime, only happening in the present. You listened to it as kid and you went to the ballpark in a suit and tie. It was real and it was passionate. You also had some of the best players to ever play the game in Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Hack Wilson, Jimmie Foxx and many more. It is a far cry for the Steroid Era of today. This kind of baseball is a dream these days.
I could try and re-live those days, but I didn't live in the era. I could write about my love for the culture and the era but I don't have enough time. There is so much about this decade that makes it amazing. The most amazing thing may have to be the attitude and the prosperity enjoyed until the very end of 1929 on Black Thursday. The sudden downfall accentuates the image of the Roaring Twenties. This decade will forever be viewed by some as the reason for the crash. It was "God" striking down his vengeance on the decadence of the 20's. To me, though, the 20's are the shining moment of American history. A show of life and belief that even to this day is unheard of.
Love the 20's. Live like a flapper. Sing like Louis Armstrong. Hit like Babe Ruth. Write like F. Scott Fitzgerald(his first name is Francis, weird I know). Dance the Charleston. Shoot a Tommy Gun. Drink some Moonshine. Smoke. Live the 20's. Live Life.
Whenever you hear about the 20's, usually the first thing anyone thinks of is Gangsters. True, old school, Gangsters. And not Gangstas, but Gangsters. Al Capone style. This culture is romanticized but who really cares, it some cool shit. Of course, we can thank our own government (Shocking, i know) for the Organized Crime boon. Thank you Prohibition. I love the idea of Tommy Guns men in suits and fedoras. Maybe I am just that romantic, but I enjoy the idea of what that culture brought. It was fight or flight. It was gritty and real. People like Al Capone took advantage wherever they could. They bribed, they killed, they stole, and it didn't matter because everyone wanted the booze.
To go right along with all of that would be the clip joints and speakeasy that would go right along with it. Flappers and the Lost Generation. The Charleston. The flash. The Style. Even the language was fantastic. What I love most about the flappers, was their rebellious nature. That made them sexy. Do I even need to mention what they did for women? Of course I do. They changed the way the world looked at women. They gained independence. Not fully, but lets be honest, this was unheard of in this time. Did I mention the language? Oh and the music they would listen to.
Jazz is one of greatest forms of music to be played. The improv, the power, the feeling behind every single note. It helps that Louis Armstrong is one of the greatest musicians to walk this earth. No Joke. Just listen to this song...Kiss to build a dream on. You really don't get much better than that. He was so influential and well, damn good. The era of libertarianism craved the jazz and music only profited from it. There is no Frank Sinatra without a little Louis Armstrong. This era is not limited to Mr. Armstrong though as there is also Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, King Oliver, and many many more. Jazz has inspired so many. And the 20's are certainly not the same without it.
Amazing, classic novels were written in this time. Writers like Fitzgerald and Steinbeck were the voice of an entire generation. Books like Winesburg, Ohio (though published in 1919), Manhattan Transfer, and The Great Gatsby spoke to millions. They still do today.
Baseball was pure. I say pure in the sense that there wasn't much mistrust in the players. They were Gods. They were everybody's hero. The True. All fabrications when you look back at the Black Sox Scandal from 1919 and the fact that Ty Cobb was the dirtiest SOB to ever play the game. Babe Ruth was a womanizing piece of work. The fix was in everywhere you looked. But it was pure. It was Baseball. It was real, powerful, and meaningful. It was America's pastime, only happening in the present. You listened to it as kid and you went to the ballpark in a suit and tie. It was real and it was passionate. You also had some of the best players to ever play the game in Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Hack Wilson, Jimmie Foxx and many more. It is a far cry for the Steroid Era of today. This kind of baseball is a dream these days.
I could try and re-live those days, but I didn't live in the era. I could write about my love for the culture and the era but I don't have enough time. There is so much about this decade that makes it amazing. The most amazing thing may have to be the attitude and the prosperity enjoyed until the very end of 1929 on Black Thursday. The sudden downfall accentuates the image of the Roaring Twenties. This decade will forever be viewed by some as the reason for the crash. It was "God" striking down his vengeance on the decadence of the 20's. To me, though, the 20's are the shining moment of American history. A show of life and belief that even to this day is unheard of.
Love the 20's. Live like a flapper. Sing like Louis Armstrong. Hit like Babe Ruth. Write like F. Scott Fitzgerald(his first name is Francis, weird I know). Dance the Charleston. Shoot a Tommy Gun. Drink some Moonshine. Smoke. Live the 20's. Live Life.
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