Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole is the Peace song of the Day. Duchess Susanna asked me about a reggae song for today and somehow I ended up with this beautiful song. As Pete Seeger says folk music is just music of the folk. And this ukelele rendition is as much music of the Hawaiian folk as reggae is of the Jamaican folk.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DKWlrA24k] Continue reading Rainbow Peace Song of the Day: Friday 9/16/11
The Peace Song of the Day, as chosen by Duchess Susanna, is “One Man’s Hands“. The music is by Pete Seeger. The lyrics are by Alex Comfort. You can find all the words at Rise Up Singing on page 241.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YF0CH_CZPw] Continue reading Peace Song of the Day 9/15/2011: One Man’s Hands
The Peace Song of the Day, as chosen by Susanna, Duchess of Peace, is “Somewhere, Someone” by Long Island singer/songwriter, Gary Ivan.
Below is a video of Gary Ivan performing this song at PeaceSmiths Coffeehouse in Amityville.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxvH-QV2gEs]
More about why Duchess Susanna chose this song…
Continue reading Changing the Ch’i: Royal Peace Song of the Day for 9/14/2011
The Royal Peace Song of the Day for Tuesday, September 13, 2011 is “This Pretty Planet” by Tom Chapin.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZECpho09-4] Continue reading Loving the earth (and celebrating the nice weather): Peace Song for 9/13/2011
The Royal Peace Song of the Day for Monday, September 12, 2011 is “How Will I Ever Be Simple Again?” by Richard Thompson. Not sure when this song was written, though, it could definitely be a reflection on America after the tragedy of September 11th.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wuhKuLqllU]
There are so many layers of feelings to be dealt with concerning the events of 9-11-2001. And, so many lessons to be learned. The Duke and Duchess considered writing some reflective pieces on 9-11, which contradict the usual storyline presented by the media.
Though, we realized that so many people are still genuinely caught up in fear and mourning. So, we decided to be gentle, and chose a song for the day that matched the simple, core truth: 9-11 was a tragedy.
The Royal Peace Song for today, September 11, 2011, is “Everybody Hurts” by REM.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScujER4LcSc] Continue reading Peace Song of the Day for 9-11
Masters of War by Bob Dylan is the Peace Song of the Day for Saturday, September 10, 2011. When Duchess Susanna heard Duke Augustus playing this song this morning, she requested he post it as it the Peace Song of the Day because she had to leave to go bring music into the world. Duke Augustus find these to be some of Dylan’s most straight-forward lyrics, but there still seems to be room for disagreement. The song was released in the spring of 1963 album The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Wikipedia claims that Nat Hentoff‘s liner notes frame the song as a protest against Cold War arms build-up.The liner note themselves seem to give the song a broader context:
“Masters of War” startles Dylan himself. “I’ve never really written anything like that before,” he recalls. “I don’t sing songs which hope people will die, but I couldn’t help it in this one. The song is a sort of striking out, a reaction to the last straw, a feeling of what can you do?” The rage (which is as much anguish as it is anger) is a away of catharsis, a way of getting temporary relief from the heavy feeling of impotence that affects many who cannot understand a civilization which juggles it’s own means for oblivion and calls that performance an act toward peace.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpMEq1vmgpI] Continue reading Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11