Flowers are Red by Harry Chapin is the Peace Song of the Day for December 17th. You can find this song on his album “Livingroom Suite” Duchess Susanna & I bonded over our fondness for this album while we were dating.
Administrators from Riverhead Schools to Gracie Mansion need to understand that creativity and leadership need to be encouraged, not punished. Chapin would often introduce the song by explaining how the inspiration came from a report card that his secretary’s son brought home. The teacher wrote that:
Your son is marching to the beat of a different drummer, but don’t worry we will soon have him joining the parade by the end of the term.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeJJOjb7fj4]
I added this second video because it gives the flavor of seeing Chapin in concert, something I was lucky to have experienced. It is not the primary video because some of language used in the introduction in this live performance is not as “kid-friendly”.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y5t-dAa6UA]
The website dedicated to Chapin’s music: http://www.harrychapin.com includes the lyrics, chords, and a musical analysis
Related:
- A spiritual for folks trying to save the world: Peace Song of the Day 9/24/2011
- Loving the earth (and celebrating the nice weather): Peace Song for 9/13/2011
- Tues. 7/12/2011: Royal Song of the Day
- Video: Explaining Occupy Wall Street to children
