My Favorite CD
Why do human-being do such stupid things? Each one of us has no power to stop war. We can’t help the old woman running for her life, or the parents covering their cowering children. We look at the images on the monitors and feel angry and sad, and curse our own helplessness.
What can music do?
Every time there is a war, every time human rights are neglected, there is a protest song that is sung. I would like to introduce you such songs.
But first, this song by a great Ukrainian pianist who returned to concert in 1965, while a law against racism was being passed., other way when the Vietnam War was about to start,
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Next song was written by Sam Cooke, who was thought to be a pop singer who sang light pop songs, and was inspired by Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the wind”. Sam Cooke was more than just a pop singer, as you can see in the movie “One Night in Miami”. It’s an interesting film and a must see.
A Change Is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
This time I’d like to introduce you to a lot of songs instead of writing weird sentences. Here’s a few songs in quick succession
Say It Loud – I’m Black And I’m Proud – James Brown
The Way It Is – Bruce Hornsby and The Range
War – Bob Marley and The Wailers
What’s Going On – Marvin Gaye
With God On Our Side – The Neville Brothers
Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
If you look on the internet you can find the lyrics of these songs, so please read them too.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young‘s “Ohio” is said to have been released within weeks of Neil writing the song in response to the media coverage, and Neil must have wanted to get it out there at that moment.
Two last songs of the most famous protest songs of all time. One is Billie Holiday’s song that the US government tried to stop her from singing this because this song can move people’s heart too much strongly and the other is Louis Armstrong’s song of hope, sung for soldiers in Vietnam.
Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday
What A Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong
Finally, as usual, a song of mine. I wrote this song on the day Russia invaded Ukraine and recorded it the next day. I can’t do anything for the people of Ukraine. I don’t know what it has some worth to write this song. But if great protest songs are kept on being sung and moving people’s hearts, then maybe one day we can stop to start any war.
If great protest songs are meaningless, t’s not the song’s fault, it is up to us. My American friends at BandLab, Savage Joe Wilson, covered this song, so please have a listen to that too.
Kaneko’s Song of the Day
Can you be hugged with mam’s grace? – KANEKO Chalin
Can you be hugged with mam’s grace? – Savage Joe Wilson
Can you be hugged with mam’s grace?
Lyrics: KANEKO Chalin
After midnight the rain turned to bombs
Pieces of the next door grandma are burning as yard lamp
After midnight the rain turned to bombs
Pieces of the next door dog are burning as yard lamp
Where is your mother?
Can you see her smiling face?
Where is your mother?
Can you be hugged with her grace?
Everybody is son and daughter of mam
Every mam must not cry over bombs
After long time we thought and learned,
Why can’t we understand what a baby can?
When did the powers lose their sanity?
When were the powers haunted by psychopaths?
When did the powers lose mom’s love and wisdom of past
