#NewMusicMonday • January, 2021

Two Days In January 

January 6th - A Day of Desecration 
A day, I as an American citizen would never have thought possible. Almost three weeks ago, a mob incited by President Trump, descended upon our U.S. Capital and created a violent insurrection against our constitution by trying to stop the legislative process to certify our 2020 Presidential election.  

Back in October 2019, I created the American flag graphic above to go with a blog I wrote, Save The Country, 50 Years Later and the #WrongSideOfHistory. In that blog I used the 1968 song, Save The Country by Laura Nyro to frame my personal opinion where I stated, "After listening to 'Save The Country' 50 years later, I couldn't help but link the lyrics with our current political times under one Donald Trump as history's loop-tape back to the civil rights movement and the policies and behavior of the Nixon administration. These lyrics are as relevant today as when Laura Nyro wrote them in 1968 expressing her fortitude with the continual efforts to preserve our democratic principles and the dreams they are built on."

Come on, people, come on, children

Come on down to the glory river

Gonna wash you up and wash you down

Gonna lay the devil down, gonna lay that devil down

One year later in October 2020, I wrote another blog, The Senate A Silent Majority, and the #WrongSideOfHistory, where I updated the graphic by adding the 'electoral 2020' to go along with the featured song of that blog by Paul Hobbs, The Senate A Silent Majority. In taking inspiration from Paul's song I wrote, The present Senate majority (fifty-three) Republican senators have simply been, SILENT. Silent to act as Trump almost provoked a war with North Korea. Silent to act on any meaningful legislation like rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. Silent to act by watching immigrant children locked in cages at the southern border. Silent to act on the President's attempt to use a foreign power to influence our election. Silent to act on a world-wide pandemic with over 8 million U.S. cases and over 220,000 American deaths (so far). I could go on...

During this current month of January, that number of U.S. deaths is now over 420,000, not to mention Trump's impeachment for a second time in the House. Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate begins in February, and down the road, a (911-type) independent commission to investigate the entire insurrection, including the possible direct involvement by members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

Now why I'm bringing up my American flag-Save The Country graphic again is due to the indelible video embedded in my brain forever of a particular Trump supporter beating a police officer with an American flag and pole. Now let that horrible irony really sink in because our waving flag is the definitive American symbol of our democracy.  For folks who talk about 'Patriotism' and 'Law and Order,' that specific act of terrorism toward that police officer within the totality of all the mob violence on January 6th, is the literal epitome of hypocrisy, and an haunting image I can't shake right now.

As an American, I have long destained the right's hijacking of the flag starting with it being 'Nixon's flag' and printed on everything from the 'mandatory' politician's lapel pin to patriotic underwear. The American flag represents ALL Americans, it flies over all of us.

I got fury in my soul, fury's gonna take me to the glory goal

In my mind I can't study war no more

Save the people

Save the children

Save the country now

January 20th - A Day of Democracy 

Exactly two weeks after January 6th, President Joseph Biden is sworn in as our 46th President of the United States. The Capital is returned to its glory and the splendor of the ceremonies both day and night brings an exhausted feeling of relief to a weary nation. I have no illusions that we are anywhere out of the woods of lies fueling rage, but a new sense of calm has come over me. Only in America.

On January 20th, two songs lifted my spirits and are bookends for the playlist this week. One, Lady Gaga opens the inauguration by singing the Star Spangled Banner that started a very emotional day for me. Second, Katy Perry closes the celebration by singing her 2010 hit Firework set to a fireworks display over Washington DC that was a four-year rainbow exhale for our nation. I cried.

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

On January 6th, I started this #NewMusicMonday January playlist to escape from the shear horror of what happened on this infamous day in history. The new music I have discovered this month has provided a great comfort from the daily news and video that has come to light from that terrible day. 

Today, I'm hoping to retire my 'Save The Country' graphic from the blog forever. I'm feeling very positive for the days ahead in keeping the dream and riding the dove. 

Enjoy the new music and covers this week my friends, stay well and mask-up.

Come on, people, sons and mothers

Keep the dream of the two young brothers

Gotta take that dream and ride that dove

We can build the dream with love, I know

We can build the dream with love

We could build the dream with love, I know

We could build the dream with love

The Senate A Silent Majority, and the #WrongSideOfHistory

 Just over a year ago, I wrote a blog titled, Save The Country, 50 Years Later and the #WrongSideOfHistory based on Laura Nyro's 1969 song, Save The Country. I made the graphic above, and then updated it for the 2020 election. The song, Save The Country spoke to me historically as I got to comparing the times of the Nixon and Trump administrations. In retrospect, Nixon was a peashooter compared to Trump's cannon of lies and corruption as Tricky Dick's got nothing on the Swamp Creature.

Senators Howard Baker (R) and Sam Ervin (D) 
during the 1973 Watergate Hearings

So like many of you, I grew up during the Vietnam War, the Nixon administration, and Watergate. In high school, Nixon and the threat of our democracy were being played out live on television and talked about in my history classes including, the Senate hearings headed by Senator Sam Ervin of North Carolina. I remember being told, "We are living in historic times."

So here, almost a half century later from a teenager living during the shady Nixon years to now, a retired teacher living in the Trump years of chaos. From my perspective, historically Trump is our biggest threat to democracy since World War II. I tell people, "We are living in historic times." Years from now, people like my grandchildren will ask older Americans, "Did you vote for Donald Trump?"

I have no doubt that my grandchildren will learn in school and life that Trump threatened our democratic practices and policies domestically as well as with our trusted foreign allies. My grandchildren will also learn about the current Republication senators who abandoned their conservative principles and character for what? These senators have stood in lock step with Trump and have sacrificed their political party for one man, who wants to be an autocrat. 

The dictator and the wanna-be, Mussolini and Trump. | CC

In 1973, bipartisan Republication and Democrat senators came together to cause Nixon's resignation before he was going to be impeached in the Senate. That group of senators during the Nixon years are remembered to this day for doing the right thing. 

The present Senate majority (fifty-three) Republican senators have simply been, SILENT. 

Silent to act as Trump almost provoked a war with North Korea. Silent to act on any meaningful legislation like rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. Silent to act by watching immigrant children locked in cages at the southern border. Silent to act on the President's attempt to use a foreign power to influence our election. Silent to act on a world-wide pandemic with over 8 million U.S. cases and over 220,000 American deaths (so far). I could go on...

These majority senators have been silent in their duty and are utterly complicit in allowing Donald Trump's lies, high crimes and misdemeanors to go unchecked day after day, for four years. Oh, they did one thing, pass a huge tax cut to the top 1% of rich Americans!

There's a great hashtag for these people and it's called, #WrongSideOfHistory. Back in January, after the Senate turned back the House's impeachment vote against Trump, Jimmy Kimmel tweeted, "This is what the wrong side of history looks like," and used the collage of the fifty-one senator majority at the time below.

Ben Sasse

Now fast-forward to Nebraska's Senator Ben Sasse (R) this past week. He participates in an 11th hour confessional town hall phone call with his constitutes trying to play both ends of the game to keep his Senate seat in his re-election bid. Sasse seems to have suddenly found a conscience (maybe thinking of his grandchildren in the future) by looking to slam Trump and possibly save his reputation and seat of power. Here's a short read in the NY Times about his Town Hall titled, Slamming Trump, G.O.P. Senator Warns of a ‘Republican Blood Bath.’ Sorry Ben, you can't be silent for four years and now start talking truth about Trump. You're always going to be stuck with the #WrongSideOfHistory senator gang and here's hoping you go down with the rest of this sinking ship. Even your buddies Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, and even ol' Moscow Mitch made statements this past week distancing themselves from the President before his potential loss (Fearing a ‘Blood Bath,’ Republican Senators Begin to Edge Away From Trump).

Last week, my good friend Paul Hobbs sent me an audio file of a song that he had just completed, The Senate A Silent Majority. I loved it! He asked me to make a video of the song that he could post on his YouTube Channel. I made it by largely using Kimmel's graphic above, I don't think Jimmy will mind. 

So now enjoy Paul's wonderful new song, and then share it with a friend.

Okay America, time to VOTE and 'fire' the game show host President along with his boot-licking senators that do nothing to help our country and its hard working people. Michael Cohen, Donald Trump's former personal lawyer for ten years is correct, to paraphrase he says, more than anything Trump is a 'con man' just out to enrich himself. Come on people, save democracy, save the country, and let's all get back to the future and leave Trump's sorry ass 'make America white again' shit show behind.

Stay well and stay strong friends. The next couple of weeks and possibly through November are going to be a Dumpty ride with this notorious foul-mouthed fat-shamin' old man and the irony of the things he says, he is.

The Trumpy Dumpty Cycle

Note- Here's a good site to track both the Senate Republication (23) and Democrat (12) seats up for re-election, 2020 Senate Race Ratings. 

Save The Country, 50 Years Later and the #WrongSideOfHistory

Graphic by Doug McIntosh

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the 50 year anniversary release of Abbey Road by The Beatles. On September 24th 1969, two days before Abbey Road hit the airwaves, Laura Nyro released New York Tendaberry.

Laura is a singer-songwriter best know as a composer much like her New York Brill Building contemporaries in that other people made monster hits from her songs.

Between 1968 and 1970, a number of artists had hits with her songs: The 5th Dimension with "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", and "Save the Country"; Blood, Sweat & Tears and Peter, Paul and Mary, with "And When I Die"; Three Dog Night with "Eli's Comin'"; and Barbra Streisand with "Stoney End", "Time and Love", and "Hands off the Man." Wikipedia.

During this past year, I've been exploring Laura Nyro and find her completely fascinating. As I got into New York Tendaberry, I discovered the song, Save The Country inspired by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy and the times of the late sixties. 

After listening to Save The Country 50 years later, I couldn't help but link the lyrics with our current political times under one Donald Trump as history's loop-tape back to the civil rights movement and the policies and behavior of the Nixon administration. These lyrics are as relevant today as when Laura Nyro wrote them in 1968 expressing her fortitude with the continual efforts to preserve our democratic principles and the dreams they are built on.

Come on, people, come on, children

Come on down to the glory river

Gonna wash you up and wash you down

Gonna lay the devil down, gonna lay that devil down

Come on, people, come on, children

There's a king at the glory river

And the precious king, he loved the people to sing

Babes in the blinking sun sang "We Shall Overcome"

I got fury in my soul, fury's gonna take me to the glory goal

In my mind I can't study war no more

Save the people

Save the children

Save the country now

Come on, people, come on, children

Come on down to the glory river

Gonna wash you up and wash you down

Gonna lay the devil down, gonna lay that devil down

Come on, people, sons and mothers

Keep the dream of the two young brothers

Gotta take that dream and ride that dove

We can build the dream with love, I know

We can build the dream with love

We could build the dream with love, I know

We could build the dream with love

I got fury in my soul, fury's gonna take me to the glory goal

In my mind I can't study war no more

Save the people

Save the children

Save the country, save the country, save the country

Save the country

Here's four different versions of this patriotic call to save We the People from the #WrongSideOfHistory. Gotta take that dream and ride that dove, we can build the dream with love...

Laura Nyro, from New York Tendaberry, 1969
Complete album on Spotify | YouTube

The 5th Dimension, From Portrait, 1970



Rosanne Cash, From Time and Love - The Music of Laura Nyro, 1997
Complete album on Spotify | YouTube



Shawn Colvin, Chris Botti, and Billy Childs, Map to the Treasure:
Reimagining Laura Nyro, 2014
Complete album on Spotify | YouTube