Tuesday, July 04, 2006

It's Independence Day

One of the books I found for the kids is Don’t Know Much About the Presidents by Kenneth C. Davis. I’m always interested in how historians approach Bill Clinton and Davis chose this as Clinton’s most memorable quote:

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”

There’s so much I thought about trying to say today … politics … promise … the many gifts of living in this country … the despair I can feel when I take in the news … global citizenship … my curiosity about how we are perceived by the rest of the world. But my head kept coming back to a song.

I’ve read a lot about putting a soundtrack to my life and I found it this weekend, making the trek to Chicago I pulled out some CDs I hadn’t listened to in forever. Two of them were Garth Brooks’ concert in Central Park and I swear to you that this is true: As this song ended my 5-year-old shouted “Look at the rainbow!” And cruising across the farmland of Southern Illinois we saw the arc of promise in all it’s glory from whence it sprung to where it again met Earth and all I could do was smile, feel renewed and sing “Have a little faith, Hold out, We Shall Be Free."

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free


When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
'Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free


// posted by HoBess @ 7/04/2006 07:14:00 AM
Comments:
Hi Hobbess,
The whole world will be free when those words ring in everybody's ears. Let's hope it's soon.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Fourth of July!

Regards,
Anne-Marie
# posted by Blogger Anne-Marie : Tuesday, July 04, 2006 8:18:00 PM
 
i love this song. the message and the way he sings it always make my heart life a bit. thanks for reminding me of this. and this clinton quote - that's a good one too. something to think about in the midst of our country's current challenges.
# posted by Blogger liz elayne lamoreux : Wednesday, July 05, 2006 2:42:00 PM
 
I love the Clinton quote -- and I find myself sadly having a harder and harder time believing it. I mean, I still do believe it -- there is so much right with America, but the wrong is getting bigger and heavier and more oppressive and sad all the time. I fear it is swallowing the poor little right (right NOT meaning right-wing in this context!) with a big gulp of its monstrous oppressive corporate gullet. Yikes! I found myself avoiding thinking about about all the things the 4th of july stands for while we celebrated -- because it's too distressing to imagine what the founding fathers would think of our country right now. Can you imagine if we had minds of their caliber running things now? Politics has become such a game. I think men of genius and higher thinking don't often succeed in politics now -- now that it's about fundraising and the media and all that. Give us back some frumpy unphotogenic geniuses like John Adams, for god's sake! Sorry for the rant -- hope you guys had a great 4th!
# posted by Blogger Laini Taylor : Thursday, July 06, 2006 10:47:00 AM
 
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
# posted by Blogger Laini Taylor : Thursday, July 06, 2006 10:48:00 AM
 
Don't you love that? I do. I love that song, and reading it here as a sort of poem, you can really take in the meaning. Thanks, and I hope your 4th was great!

:)
# posted by Blogger Amber : Thursday, July 06, 2006 10:05:00 PM
 
I haven't heard this song...but my, what incredible lyrics! How very true! Now if only we can all keep this optimism and hope and faith...we shall be free indeed.
Lovely post!
xoxo,
TD
# posted by Blogger tara dawn : Friday, July 07, 2006 11:09:00 PM
 
What wonderful lyrics! If only..
we would all put those lyrics to use. If only.....the world were like this. If only....you get my drift! Love the idea of it! This is a great post.

I think if we had the origianl founders of our country still here helping to run it, the moral standards might not have taken the giant slump they seem to be in now!

I guess I'm coming in a little late on this one...chalk it up to my vacations too close together!
# posted by Blogger Martie : Sunday, July 09, 2006 1:28:00 PM
 
Post a Comment



<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?