Favorite Entries
Nothing But Nets...on Colbert, and in honor of Russ
Sep/20/2008 06:56 AM
Many of you know that I've become a huge fan of
"Nothing But Nets"
the past few years. The other night, there was a
great confluence of this favorite charity of mine
and the Colbert Report.
Below is Rick Riley's appearance with Stephen Colbert, as they talk about the project, and even do a demonstration. I hope you'll watch not only because it's a great charity, but because you'll help me honor my friend, Russ Noland.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Below is Rick Riley's appearance with Stephen Colbert, as they talk about the project, and even do a demonstration. I hope you'll watch not only because it's a great charity, but because you'll help me honor my friend, Russ Noland.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Eric's Top 25 iPod Songs for 2007
Dec/28/2007 01:52 PM
It's the last week of the year, that means that it's
"End of the Year List" time.
As per with last year, there's just one I'll offer you. It's the list of songs below which --for whatever it's worth-- ended up as the most played songs on my iPod this year. I know this, because I intentionally reset the song count on my iTunes somewhere during the first week of last January.
It's a fun exercise, actually. I highly recommend giving it a shot. Because it gives you a little musical snapshot of your year...the things that were happening...what you were going through.
In the case of these songs, there are only two or three that ever got any airplay as "hits." (What does that say about me?!) You will also note that although this is advertised as a "Top 25," there are not twenty-five entries. Apparently, this is because iTunes will not include songs that are not also for sale at their store. Which is really just as well...since the most of the excluded ones are demos of my own songs and only got lots of plays just because I was listening for ways to improve them.
So, without further delay: (Read the rest. Click here)
As per with last year, there's just one I'll offer you. It's the list of songs below which --for whatever it's worth-- ended up as the most played songs on my iPod this year. I know this, because I intentionally reset the song count on my iTunes somewhere during the first week of last January.
It's a fun exercise, actually. I highly recommend giving it a shot. Because it gives you a little musical snapshot of your year...the things that were happening...what you were going through.
In the case of these songs, there are only two or three that ever got any airplay as "hits." (What does that say about me?!) You will also note that although this is advertised as a "Top 25," there are not twenty-five entries. Apparently, this is because iTunes will not include songs that are not also for sale at their store. Which is really just as well...since the most of the excluded ones are demos of my own songs and only got lots of plays just because I was listening for ways to improve them.
So, without further delay: (Read the rest. Click here)
Columbus Discovery
Dec/18/2007 08:15 AM
Columbus Discovery:
"An artist, musician, writer, cultural figure who Eric stumbles on as if he's the first person to ever know about them.
Like Columbus, he's usually thrilled to have "discovered" this new and creative talent. Like Columbus, he usually later realizes that many of these people have been known for years --thank you very much-- and are only "new" to him.
Given how many times this has happened, Eric no longer assumes anything, and simply generically calls these moments "Columbus Discoveries," confessing ahead of time that, while they are new to him, he might just be the last clueless person to learn about them."
(Read the rest. Click here)
"An artist, musician, writer, cultural figure who Eric stumbles on as if he's the first person to ever know about them.
Like Columbus, he's usually thrilled to have "discovered" this new and creative talent. Like Columbus, he usually later realizes that many of these people have been known for years --thank you very much-- and are only "new" to him.
Given how many times this has happened, Eric no longer assumes anything, and simply generically calls these moments "Columbus Discoveries," confessing ahead of time that, while they are new to him, he might just be the last clueless person to learn about them."
(Read the rest. Click here)
Brand New, Super Cool, Email Blog Thingy...
Jun/20/2007 06:18 PM
Every so often, as I'm doing routine blog
maintenance, I stumble on a cool new feature that
would be great to have.
That happened again recently. And so today I am pleased to announce the latest brand-new, super cool, blog feature: Blog entries via email.
That's right.
Let's say you want to keep up with "When EF Talks," but you just can't seem to remember to check back here as often as you'd like. Then, when you finally do, you feel like you've missed something. (Read the rest. Click here)
That happened again recently. And so today I am pleased to announce the latest brand-new, super cool, blog feature: Blog entries via email.
That's right.
Let's say you want to keep up with "When EF Talks," but you just can't seem to remember to check back here as often as you'd like. Then, when you finally do, you feel like you've missed something. (Read the rest. Click here)
Current Favorite iPod Songs
Apr/13/2007 08:30 AM
File this under, "Why didn't I think of this years
ago?!"
I have created an "iMix" of my current favorite iPod songs. These are the songs that are getting the most ear-play on my own iPod.
You can find it here.
I've also added this link to the navigational window to your right, so that you can find it in the future too. Because I will update the songs list every-so-often, as the mood strikes.
Enjoy (Read the rest. Click here)
I have created an "iMix" of my current favorite iPod songs. These are the songs that are getting the most ear-play on my own iPod.
You can find it here.
I've also added this link to the navigational window to your right, so that you can find it in the future too. Because I will update the songs list every-so-often, as the mood strikes.
Enjoy (Read the rest. Click here)
Rising Like the Phoenix: The Rebirth of My Website and Blog
Jul/31/2006 07:54 PM
(Lyrics
in italics from Dan Fogelberg's great song,
"Phoenix")
"I have cried too...I have cried too long
I have cried too...I have cried too long
No more sorrow. Got to carry on."
So, it's been more than three weeks since you heard anything from me on my blog. Sometimes, there's nothing behind that silence, except that life gets really busy and I don't have time to check in here. Sometimes the silence is that, believe it or not, I can't find anything to write.
Neither are the case here.
Behind the silence of these past three weeks have been long days of cyber-frustration that I aim to vent in this blog entry now...
What's been happening these last three weeks is that my blog software had a meltdown. I mean a complete meltdown. The day after my last post about the Rangers, I tried to create a new category and all hell broke loose amongst the bytes and bits.
First, the blog was gone completely.
(Lot's of wailing and knashing of teeth)
Then, it came back, but without the comments and the categories.
(More wailing. More knashing)
Finally, I found that I couldn't even post to the blog. Which, of course, defeats the purpose of having one.
(Waaay beyond wailing and knashing...)
And, as some of you know, this broke loose during a period where I had more visitors to my blog than ever in any month in history. The first six days of July seemed to indicate that it would also be a banner month. And then, the radio silence of sorry-software, and very likely hundreds of readers are wondering where I went and maybe are now gone forever....
Sigh...
I go from sad, to pissed, to resigned... to "what can you do?"
Add to it this last fact: there's no way for me to even add an apology, or a "we're-experiencing-technical-difficulties" warning to my old blog. It's just hanging out there in cyberspace, with all the entries ending on July 6th, and potentially hundreds of readers scratching their heads. (If you've found me again, bless you...) (Read the rest. Click here)
"I have cried too...I have cried too long
I have cried too...I have cried too long
No more sorrow. Got to carry on."
So, it's been more than three weeks since you heard anything from me on my blog. Sometimes, there's nothing behind that silence, except that life gets really busy and I don't have time to check in here. Sometimes the silence is that, believe it or not, I can't find anything to write.
Neither are the case here.
Behind the silence of these past three weeks have been long days of cyber-frustration that I aim to vent in this blog entry now...
What's been happening these last three weeks is that my blog software had a meltdown. I mean a complete meltdown. The day after my last post about the Rangers, I tried to create a new category and all hell broke loose amongst the bytes and bits.
First, the blog was gone completely.
(Lot's of wailing and knashing of teeth)
Then, it came back, but without the comments and the categories.
(More wailing. More knashing)
Finally, I found that I couldn't even post to the blog. Which, of course, defeats the purpose of having one.
(Waaay beyond wailing and knashing...)
And, as some of you know, this broke loose during a period where I had more visitors to my blog than ever in any month in history. The first six days of July seemed to indicate that it would also be a banner month. And then, the radio silence of sorry-software, and very likely hundreds of readers are wondering where I went and maybe are now gone forever....
Sigh...
I go from sad, to pissed, to resigned... to "what can you do?"
Add to it this last fact: there's no way for me to even add an apology, or a "we're-experiencing-technical-difficulties" warning to my old blog. It's just hanging out there in cyberspace, with all the entries ending on July 6th, and potentially hundreds of readers scratching their heads. (If you've found me again, bless you...) (Read the rest. Click here)
Disclaimer
Jul/29/2006 08:11 PM
It goes
without saying (of course, if it really
did,
I would not be writing this) but....
The thoughts, opinions, ideas, stories, rants, meditations, information written anywhere on this this blog are totally and completely my own, and do not reflect the views of any church, denomination, political party, elected official, close friend, relative, musical group, sports team, city, state, county, nation, artist or musician friend, other blogger, or anybody else you can think of.
They're my thoughts, written as the human being that --first and foremost, and before anything else-- I am.
(Read the rest. Click here)
The thoughts, opinions, ideas, stories, rants, meditations, information written anywhere on this this blog are totally and completely my own, and do not reflect the views of any church, denomination, political party, elected official, close friend, relative, musical group, sports team, city, state, county, nation, artist or musician friend, other blogger, or anybody else you can think of.
They're my thoughts, written as the human being that --first and foremost, and before anything else-- I am.
(Read the rest. Click here)
Welcome to "When EF Talks!"
Jul/29/2006 07:23 PM
Welcome to "When EF Talks!" Eric Folkerth's blog on
music, religion, politics and life.
This blog started as an appendage of my music website. Serving as a vehicle for promoting my music is still one of the main goals of these pages. But a lot of folks stumble on this site via the blog these days. So, if you're finding me this way, I hope you'll check out my whole site too.
The blog is organized into several categories, meant to be browsed. After reading about them here, you can click on the links below to browse by category (You'll also find them in the navigational menu, about half way down the main page...):
Categories on "When EF Talks"
Favorite Entries
These are entries that either mean a lot to me, or have meant a lot to other people. Sometimes they start out in other categories, and I move them into this one. Therefore, these entries are likely to cover a gamut of topics, and be something of a grab-bag.
Music News
A category for general info, news, gig announcements, about me and my music. I write about upcoming shows here, decompress about shows that have passed, talk about recording I'm doing, and pass along info. about musician friends too.
Angels and Pins
I have enough theological training to be dangerous. And this is the place for me to opine about all things theological, ethical, moral, and philosophical. Hopefully with words that most human beings can understand (Not something all theologians do all of the time....) Also, I used to write a weekly email devotional that, once upon a time, was read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. I don't write it anymore. But, now and then, you'll find something like those old devotionals in this section too.
Life Happens
To me. To my family. To those around me. So....these are entries about stuff that happens that I feel the need to put into words. Or, it's stuff that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.
Balcony People
Joyce Landgraff invented the term over twenty years ago to describe folks in her life that were in her corner...cheerleaders, supporters, personal saints, heroes from history. She said that anytime she spoke or performed in public, she imagined that these folks with with her, "in the balcony," watching over her.
So, this category is to honor those who've meant something to me. Anybody who appears in this category is likely to be someone --living or dead, personal friend or hero from afar-- that has touched my life in some way.
Thoughts from Purple Land
Just after the 2004 election, I wrote a song called "Purple Land." We DO live in a Purple Land in that every state is both all both "blue" and "red." We are never just one or the other. I happen to personally trend more blueish than reddish, and the writing here will make that plain. But, in my life, I know a lot of truly fine, upstanding red folks too. This category is for political ramblings of my own imaginings, or to pass along stuff I've found other places. The opinions are my own, and do not represent the views of any church or other organization. (Just felt the need to say that...and I say it even more strongly here.)
My Own Amazing Race
I've been blessed to travel a lot of really interesting places in my life. I have a lot of pictures and memories, and I'm working on some entries that will be travelogues of some of the fascinating places and people I've met over the years. Stay tuned...
Things to Like About Texas
Lots of folks don't like our state these days. I know that. And I'm not at all an apologist. I can agree with a lot of the critique. But before you throw the baby out with the bath water, please read some of the things I've found to like about this state. You might be surprised. Or, even if you do still hate Texas, you might see us more as nuisance than anathema. And that'd at least be a step in the right direction.
HSO's from a Bitter P1
In 2006, I found myself blogging on sports far more than I ever imagined I would. This culminated during the Mavs playoff run, when my observations about Dwyane Wade got the attention of about 25,000 bloggers around the net, and got me the moniker "Bitter P1" from the "BaD Radio Show" on "The Ticket." It's a nickname I embrace with pride. (If you have to ask what an "HSO" or "P1" is, go here.) So, this is the category for all sport-related blogs.
Things I Meant to Write
Fairly self-explanatory. This is when enough time passes and it seems strange, in the fast-moving world of a blog, to bring something up. But, that "something" sticks in my craw, and I have to write about it anyway.
Synapse Clippings
This is a category filled with the stuff that most blogs have...quick hitting, short entries that link you to somewhere else. I've just found, over the years, that there is some benefit to brevity at times...at least in a blog. So, this is where all the quick thoughts that dash across my brain's white-matter go.
---------------------------------------
Navigation Menu
Note the navigational menu to your right. First, you'll see my blog roll. "Close to My Heart" are sites that I either have a personal/professional connection to, or sites that someone in my immediately family has a personal/professional connection to.
Next, you'll find "Musician Friends." I have a lot of musician friends, and I've been blessed by them all. But these folks I've shared gigs with, written songs with, recorded with, or had some other close connection. They are all incredible talents, and if you get nothing else from my blog, getting to know them better would make the visit worth your time.
"Writers and Other Artist Friends" is exactly like the last category, but are other kinds of art.
"Sites that Keep Me Sane" are sites that give political analysis that doesn't seem insane to me. "Sites That Feed Me" are sites that speak to the human soul, and issues of spirituality. "Passionate Causes" are groups I have either done volunteer work with personally, or actual agencies in Dallas I have a connection with.
"Hear it Here First" are political blogs and media watchdogs that, it seems to me, do a very good job breaking stories that the rest of us will be talking about as soon as they infiltrate the MSM.
Finally, as you can see, you can syndicate this site via "RSS" if you like, or sign up to get each new entry via email, so that you're always updated when I've written something new.
Well, that's about it. Still haven't told you much about me. But I'm assuming most of it will become self-evident through the reading itself. In the menu to your right, you can peruse my favorite iPod songs, and snoop through my bookshelf. If you like, you can read my music site biography here. You can also tell a lot about a person by the quotes they live their life by. So here are some that mean a lot to me. Finally, you can learn a lot about me by reading this long blog entry too.
Leave me a comment or two. And thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Eric Folkerth
This blog started as an appendage of my music website. Serving as a vehicle for promoting my music is still one of the main goals of these pages. But a lot of folks stumble on this site via the blog these days. So, if you're finding me this way, I hope you'll check out my whole site too.
The blog is organized into several categories, meant to be browsed. After reading about them here, you can click on the links below to browse by category (You'll also find them in the navigational menu, about half way down the main page...):
Categories on "When EF Talks"
Favorite Entries
These are entries that either mean a lot to me, or have meant a lot to other people. Sometimes they start out in other categories, and I move them into this one. Therefore, these entries are likely to cover a gamut of topics, and be something of a grab-bag.
Music News
A category for general info, news, gig announcements, about me and my music. I write about upcoming shows here, decompress about shows that have passed, talk about recording I'm doing, and pass along info. about musician friends too.
Angels and Pins
I have enough theological training to be dangerous. And this is the place for me to opine about all things theological, ethical, moral, and philosophical. Hopefully with words that most human beings can understand (Not something all theologians do all of the time....) Also, I used to write a weekly email devotional that, once upon a time, was read by more than 3,000 people worldwide. I don't write it anymore. But, now and then, you'll find something like those old devotionals in this section too.
Life Happens
To me. To my family. To those around me. So....these are entries about stuff that happens that I feel the need to put into words. Or, it's stuff that doesn't seem to fit anywhere else.
Balcony People
Joyce Landgraff invented the term over twenty years ago to describe folks in her life that were in her corner...cheerleaders, supporters, personal saints, heroes from history. She said that anytime she spoke or performed in public, she imagined that these folks with with her, "in the balcony," watching over her.
So, this category is to honor those who've meant something to me. Anybody who appears in this category is likely to be someone --living or dead, personal friend or hero from afar-- that has touched my life in some way.
Thoughts from Purple Land
Just after the 2004 election, I wrote a song called "Purple Land." We DO live in a Purple Land in that every state is both all both "blue" and "red." We are never just one or the other. I happen to personally trend more blueish than reddish, and the writing here will make that plain. But, in my life, I know a lot of truly fine, upstanding red folks too. This category is for political ramblings of my own imaginings, or to pass along stuff I've found other places. The opinions are my own, and do not represent the views of any church or other organization. (Just felt the need to say that...and I say it even more strongly here.)
My Own Amazing Race
I've been blessed to travel a lot of really interesting places in my life. I have a lot of pictures and memories, and I'm working on some entries that will be travelogues of some of the fascinating places and people I've met over the years. Stay tuned...
Things to Like About Texas
Lots of folks don't like our state these days. I know that. And I'm not at all an apologist. I can agree with a lot of the critique. But before you throw the baby out with the bath water, please read some of the things I've found to like about this state. You might be surprised. Or, even if you do still hate Texas, you might see us more as nuisance than anathema. And that'd at least be a step in the right direction.
HSO's from a Bitter P1
In 2006, I found myself blogging on sports far more than I ever imagined I would. This culminated during the Mavs playoff run, when my observations about Dwyane Wade got the attention of about 25,000 bloggers around the net, and got me the moniker "Bitter P1" from the "BaD Radio Show" on "The Ticket." It's a nickname I embrace with pride. (If you have to ask what an "HSO" or "P1" is, go here.) So, this is the category for all sport-related blogs.
Things I Meant to Write
Fairly self-explanatory. This is when enough time passes and it seems strange, in the fast-moving world of a blog, to bring something up. But, that "something" sticks in my craw, and I have to write about it anyway.
Synapse Clippings
This is a category filled with the stuff that most blogs have...quick hitting, short entries that link you to somewhere else. I've just found, over the years, that there is some benefit to brevity at times...at least in a blog. So, this is where all the quick thoughts that dash across my brain's white-matter go.
---------------------------------------
Navigation Menu
Note the navigational menu to your right. First, you'll see my blog roll. "Close to My Heart" are sites that I either have a personal/professional connection to, or sites that someone in my immediately family has a personal/professional connection to.
Next, you'll find "Musician Friends." I have a lot of musician friends, and I've been blessed by them all. But these folks I've shared gigs with, written songs with, recorded with, or had some other close connection. They are all incredible talents, and if you get nothing else from my blog, getting to know them better would make the visit worth your time.
"Writers and Other Artist Friends" is exactly like the last category, but are other kinds of art.
"Sites that Keep Me Sane" are sites that give political analysis that doesn't seem insane to me. "Sites That Feed Me" are sites that speak to the human soul, and issues of spirituality. "Passionate Causes" are groups I have either done volunteer work with personally, or actual agencies in Dallas I have a connection with.
"Hear it Here First" are political blogs and media watchdogs that, it seems to me, do a very good job breaking stories that the rest of us will be talking about as soon as they infiltrate the MSM.
Finally, as you can see, you can syndicate this site via "RSS" if you like, or sign up to get each new entry via email, so that you're always updated when I've written something new.
Well, that's about it. Still haven't told you much about me. But I'm assuming most of it will become self-evident through the reading itself. In the menu to your right, you can peruse my favorite iPod songs, and snoop through my bookshelf. If you like, you can read my music site biography here. You can also tell a lot about a person by the quotes they live their life by. So here are some that mean a lot to me. Finally, you can learn a lot about me by reading this long blog entry too.
Leave me a comment or two. And thanks for taking the time to stop by.
Eric Folkerth
--30--
Merry Christmas from Eric and Dennise!!! (Read our yearly e-Christmas card)
Dec/30/2005 05:11 PM
The past few
weeks have been absolutely crazy-busy for me. That
adds on to the past two months that were also, by
themselves, crazy-busy. That's a whole lot of
busy-ness goin' on....
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday. (Read the rest. Click here)
But, this week, it slowed down some, and I was able to get our yearly e-Christmas card done. For those unfamiliar, it's been about five years since we actually sent out a paper card. We send a combination card/letter that's packed with links to pictures, mp3s, websites, and quicktime home movies. It's a little multimedia snapshot of our year in review.
Download it here
Feel free to download to your little heart's content. It's in Adobe pdf version. And to enjoy it fully, we assume you have Quicktime, an mp3 player, and an image viewer. (most folks have all that stuff these days...)
Hope you're all having a safe holiday. (Read the rest. Click here)
Video of Prairie Chapel Road: Using my song as the soundtrack (Very, very cool...)
Aug/20/2005 05:16 PM
Video of Prairie Chapel Road: It uses my song as the
soundtrack (very, very cool...)
Here's the low quality version.
Here's the high quality version.
For more about the song, go here.
For a discussion of my recent trip to Crawford, go here.
Here's the low quality version.
Here's the high quality version.
For more about the song, go here.
For a discussion of my recent trip to Crawford, go here.
--30--
(Read the rest. Click here)Prairie Chapel Road: A Song Inspired by Camp Casey and Cindy Sheehan
Aug/16/2005 11:31 PM
In August
of 2005, I had the great good fortune to be a part of
"Camp Casey," the organic and grassroots peace
movement inspired by Cindy Sheehan. During some of my
trips there, I was inspired to write a song called
"Prairie Chapel Road," which has now become one of
two great songs to come out of that movement. It's
been downloaded almost 3,000 times since then.
I've revised this original blog entry several times, and now it's sort of a "one stop" place to find all the other writing I've done about Camp Casey. The entry below tells the story of how "Prairie Chapel Road" first got written, and will give you the links so you can download/stream it yourself.
But I thought you might also be interested in some of the OTHER writing I've done about Camp Casey and what's happened since I wrote the song....
So, you can learn about my second visit to Camp Casey 1 here, where I played PCR for family members the very first time, at a Friday prayer vigil.
You can see an incredible video that uses PCR as the soundtrack at this second link.
This third blog entry tells about how BBC Radio used a clip of the song in a that aired on Public Radio in the states.
Fourthly (is this a word?), you can learn about my final visit to Camp Casey last August, on the last incredible Saturday, when 2,000 people were gathered there and I got to play the song on the big main stage at Camp Casey II, here .
Last but not least, you can read here how my musician friend, Jesse Dyen, has covered "Prairie Chapel Road."
But, before you read any this, you might want to start with what's below. It's the very first "Prairie Chapel Road" blog entry that tells the story of the song, and of how all this got started. Perhaps give it a read, and then explore some of these other links I've just mentioned....EF
---------------------------------------------
I went down to Camp Casey yesterday. It's only an hour and a half from home, and I'd been moved by what I'd been reading of the powerful questions she hopes to ask the President. So, me and two others from our church went down for the day.
We got off the shuttle at Camp Casey about 2 minutes before a HUGE gully-washer rainstorm blew through. (Reminded me of Kerrville, actually...) I ran to the nearest shelter which, as it turns out, was the Veterans for Peace shelter where Cindy's original tent had been. (According to woman named Ann, who was nice enough to let me keep out of the rain with her...)
After the rain, Ron, Kim, and me went down the entire row of 800-plus crosses. The storm had toppled over some of the American flags that were next to them, and some of the names had blown off. So, as we walked down, just soaking in all the crosses in the soaked ground --a little less than half of the actual US casualties-- we did our best to put them back in order.
Imagine my shock, then, when I awoke this morning to find that the crosses had been mowed down by some Crawford local the night before. Apparently, he'd tied a metal pole to the back of his truck, and just plowed through them, like he was plowing up corn. Beside the violence of his act, it seems to me that despite his claim to be a "good Christian," the whole crucifixion thing must be lost on him. I mean, thinking theologically here, how completely metaphorical IS it for him to RUN OVER a bunch of CROSSES?!!!*
There are just whole levels of powerful metaphor to this senseless act. Even some of the pro-war (or pro-Bush) folks had been moved by the display of crosses. I heard stories that some of them "crossed the road" to walk up and down the line. Some of them left American flags. Some of them left flowers.
I heard the story that there was a local guy who drove by, who was very much pro-war (or pro-Bush). He had lost his son in the war, and he came up, angry and wanting to talk to someone. After a while, he noticed the crosses, and decided to check and see if his son was among the names. Turns out, he was. And the man melted into tears, in the hands of a peace advocate whose name he barely even knew.
Such were the stories of power that I heard while at Camp Casey. These don't seem to be making into the mainstream press.
There was so much more that I wanted to blog today about the trip to Crawford. But somehow this thing with the crosses stayed in the front of my brain, and wouldn't leave me alone.
So, although I had bloggers block, I didn't seem to have songwriters block. And I've got a new song called "Prairie Chapel Road"
On the way home today, these words of hope just came tumbling out.
It's been said that there's no good protest songs being written these days. Well, maybe it's because there are very few good protests. I don't know if this is a good song, but I DO know this is a powerful protest that deserves good songs.
And so, this song goes out to Cindy Sheehan, and to all the others who camp there in non-violence, and who believe that their witness CAN make a difference in people's lives. They've inspired me, and they've inspired countless others.
And, as this witness goes on, and the tensions mount, we all need to believe in the hope that was ignited by their original willingness to speak up and speak out.
Prairie Chapel Road
Download it here
Stream it here
Lyrics
Prairie Chapel Road
The grieving mother pitched her tent,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
With questions for the President
On Prairie Chapel Road...
A host of pilgrims came along
To Prairie Chapel Road...
Raised their voices, sang their songs
On Prairie Chapel Road...
You can mow down the crosses,
but you can’t mow down our hope,
‘Cause the truth will always greet
The light of day.
And we know what the cost is,
In this darkness, where we grope,
But we know that peace
Will be the better way...
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Around the nation, all eyes turned
To Prairie Chapel Road...
To mark the lessons we had learned
On Prairie Chapel Road...
People who had found their voice
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Millions more who joined their choice
On Prairie Chapel Road...
---------------------
In every city, and small town,
There’s a Prairie Chapel Road
Where two sides of the road are found,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
And we may always disagree
On Prairie Chapel Road...
But the right to do keeps us free
On Prairie Chapel Road...
----------
The grieving mother pitched her tent,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
With questions for the President
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Copyright, Eric Folkerth © 2005
All Rights Reserved.
* I should note that there were also several Stars of David, and at least one Crescent Moon too...
I've revised this original blog entry several times, and now it's sort of a "one stop" place to find all the other writing I've done about Camp Casey. The entry below tells the story of how "Prairie Chapel Road" first got written, and will give you the links so you can download/stream it yourself.
But I thought you might also be interested in some of the OTHER writing I've done about Camp Casey and what's happened since I wrote the song....
So, you can learn about my second visit to Camp Casey 1 here, where I played PCR for family members the very first time, at a Friday prayer vigil.
You can see an incredible video that uses PCR as the soundtrack at this second link.
This third blog entry tells about how BBC Radio used a clip of the song in a that aired on Public Radio in the states.
Fourthly (is this a word?), you can learn about my final visit to Camp Casey last August, on the last incredible Saturday, when 2,000 people were gathered there and I got to play the song on the big main stage at Camp Casey II, here .
Last but not least, you can read here how my musician friend, Jesse Dyen, has covered "Prairie Chapel Road."
But, before you read any this, you might want to start with what's below. It's the very first "Prairie Chapel Road" blog entry that tells the story of the song, and of how all this got started. Perhaps give it a read, and then explore some of these other links I've just mentioned....EF
---------------------------------------------
I went down to Camp Casey yesterday. It's only an hour and a half from home, and I'd been moved by what I'd been reading of the powerful questions she hopes to ask the President. So, me and two others from our church went down for the day.
We got off the shuttle at Camp Casey about 2 minutes before a HUGE gully-washer rainstorm blew through. (Reminded me of Kerrville, actually...) I ran to the nearest shelter which, as it turns out, was the Veterans for Peace shelter where Cindy's original tent had been. (According to woman named Ann, who was nice enough to let me keep out of the rain with her...)
After the rain, Ron, Kim, and me went down the entire row of 800-plus crosses. The storm had toppled over some of the American flags that were next to them, and some of the names had blown off. So, as we walked down, just soaking in all the crosses in the soaked ground --a little less than half of the actual US casualties-- we did our best to put them back in order.
Imagine my shock, then, when I awoke this morning to find that the crosses had been mowed down by some Crawford local the night before. Apparently, he'd tied a metal pole to the back of his truck, and just plowed through them, like he was plowing up corn. Beside the violence of his act, it seems to me that despite his claim to be a "good Christian," the whole crucifixion thing must be lost on him. I mean, thinking theologically here, how completely metaphorical IS it for him to RUN OVER a bunch of CROSSES?!!!*
There are just whole levels of powerful metaphor to this senseless act. Even some of the pro-war (or pro-Bush) folks had been moved by the display of crosses. I heard stories that some of them "crossed the road" to walk up and down the line. Some of them left American flags. Some of them left flowers.
I heard the story that there was a local guy who drove by, who was very much pro-war (or pro-Bush). He had lost his son in the war, and he came up, angry and wanting to talk to someone. After a while, he noticed the crosses, and decided to check and see if his son was among the names. Turns out, he was. And the man melted into tears, in the hands of a peace advocate whose name he barely even knew.
Such were the stories of power that I heard while at Camp Casey. These don't seem to be making into the mainstream press.
There was so much more that I wanted to blog today about the trip to Crawford. But somehow this thing with the crosses stayed in the front of my brain, and wouldn't leave me alone.
So, although I had bloggers block, I didn't seem to have songwriters block. And I've got a new song called "Prairie Chapel Road"
On the way home today, these words of hope just came tumbling out.
It's been said that there's no good protest songs being written these days. Well, maybe it's because there are very few good protests. I don't know if this is a good song, but I DO know this is a powerful protest that deserves good songs.
And so, this song goes out to Cindy Sheehan, and to all the others who camp there in non-violence, and who believe that their witness CAN make a difference in people's lives. They've inspired me, and they've inspired countless others.
And, as this witness goes on, and the tensions mount, we all need to believe in the hope that was ignited by their original willingness to speak up and speak out.
Prairie Chapel Road
Download it here
Stream it here
Lyrics
Prairie Chapel Road
The grieving mother pitched her tent,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
With questions for the President
On Prairie Chapel Road...
A host of pilgrims came along
To Prairie Chapel Road...
Raised their voices, sang their songs
On Prairie Chapel Road...
You can mow down the crosses,
but you can’t mow down our hope,
‘Cause the truth will always greet
The light of day.
And we know what the cost is,
In this darkness, where we grope,
But we know that peace
Will be the better way...
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Around the nation, all eyes turned
To Prairie Chapel Road...
To mark the lessons we had learned
On Prairie Chapel Road...
People who had found their voice
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Millions more who joined their choice
On Prairie Chapel Road...
---------------------
In every city, and small town,
There’s a Prairie Chapel Road
Where two sides of the road are found,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
And we may always disagree
On Prairie Chapel Road...
But the right to do keeps us free
On Prairie Chapel Road...
----------
The grieving mother pitched her tent,
On Prairie Chapel Road...
With questions for the President
On Prairie Chapel Road...
Copyright, Eric Folkerth © 2005
All Rights Reserved.
* I should note that there were also several Stars of David, and at least one Crescent Moon too...
--30--
My Persistent Schizophrenia. I muse on the bifurcation of my two loves, and the paranoia I've always had about it.
Jul/13/2005 04:20 PM
The two loves
of my life are working in the church and playing
music.
I have never done a very good job at bringing them together. And I'm about at a point in my life where I've pretty well decided I never will. That doesn't trouble me the way it used to. In some ways, it's because I'm somewhat more comfortable in my own skin than I used to be. But this is an essay I've needed to write for a while, and it's time to do it now. I blog a lot of stuff, but this one's really close to the heart, and is probably going to be VERY long. So, bear with me....
For those few who have never realized it, my "day job" (there are people who hate that I call it that, even in jest...) is that I'm a United Methodist Minister. I serve a church in Dallas, Texas. It's a wonderful place, really....full of lots of musicians, artists, poets, writers, etc. Many of them love the fact that I have this other love in my life: music.
And, as I'm sure you know if you're reading this website, the other love of my life IS music. I can't really even remember a time when the two weren't woven together in some ways; church and music. And I can't really remember a time when they ever "meshed" 100 percent either. (Read the rest. Click here)
I have never done a very good job at bringing them together. And I'm about at a point in my life where I've pretty well decided I never will. That doesn't trouble me the way it used to. In some ways, it's because I'm somewhat more comfortable in my own skin than I used to be. But this is an essay I've needed to write for a while, and it's time to do it now. I blog a lot of stuff, but this one's really close to the heart, and is probably going to be VERY long. So, bear with me....
For those few who have never realized it, my "day job" (there are people who hate that I call it that, even in jest...) is that I'm a United Methodist Minister. I serve a church in Dallas, Texas. It's a wonderful place, really....full of lots of musicians, artists, poets, writers, etc. Many of them love the fact that I have this other love in my life: music.
And, as I'm sure you know if you're reading this website, the other love of my life IS music. I can't really even remember a time when the two weren't woven together in some ways; church and music. And I can't really remember a time when they ever "meshed" 100 percent either. (Read the rest. Click here)
Credo-bytes
Jun/25/2005 05:20 PM
An ever-expanding list of quotable quotes that shape
my thinking and belief...
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
-- Jesus of Nazareth
"Religion is a picture window,
Life is not a pretty picture..."
-- Patty Larkin
"I don't know if everyone has to come to terms with religion, but everyone has to come to terms with mystery, which is the business of religion."
-- Patricia Hempl
"God has no hands and feet but ours"
-- Theresa of Avila
"Distant nation...my community.
Street person...my responsibility.
If I have a care in the world, I have a gift to bring."
-- Indigo Girls
"Theology is the study of God and his (sic) ways. For all we know, dung beetles may study man (sic) and his (sic) ways and call it humanology. If so, we would probably be more touched and amused than irritated. One hopes that God feels likewise."
-- Frederick Buechner
"Logic lives in a bucket of paint,
Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe I ain't
Cause both can be spread with no trouble at all."
-- Darden Smith
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that"
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Still you argue for an option,
And you angle for your case.
Like you wouldn't know a burning bush,
If it blew up in your face...
Don't ask what you are not doing,
Because your voice cannot command.
In time, we will move mountains.
And it will come, through your hands."
-- John Hiatt
"Why do you worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear? Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
-- Jesus of Nazareth
“Pay mind to your own life, your own health, and wholeness. A bleeding heart is of no help to anyone if it bleeds to death.”
-- Frederick Buechner
"I don't like going to bed at night, and I don't like getting up in the morning."
-- Snoopy the Dog
"Don't be tempted by the shiny apple; Don't you eat of the bitter fruit.
Hunger only for a taste of justice; Hunger only for a world of truth,
'Cause all that you have is your soul."
--Tracy Chapman
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-- Mahatma Gandhi
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."
-- John Wesley
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
--George Carlin
"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."
-- John Lennon
"The greatest tragedy of theology in the past three hundred years has been the divorce of the theologian from the poet, the dancer, the musician, the painter, the dramatist, the actress, the movie-maker."
-- M.D. Chenu.
"But don’t confuse caring for weakness
You can’t put that label on me
The truth is my weapon of mass protection
And I believe truth sets you free"
-- Willie Nelson
"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."
-- Jesus of Nazareth
"People with no hope will steal yours."
-- Martin Luther King Jr. *
"We wouldn't worry so much about what people think of us, if we knew how seldom they do."
-- Oscar Wilde
"May we all find salvation in professions that heal."
-- Shawn Colvin
"You got to sing, like you don't need the money,
Love like you'll never get hurt,
You've got to dance, dance, dance, like no one is watching,
It's got to come from the heart, it you want it to work."
-- Guy Clark
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
"Until long after it matters,
you don't know if you're good enough.
You can bet your dreams will be battered,
So just go after what you love."
-- John Gorka
"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is Grace."
-- Frederick Buechner
"The antidote for too much free speech is always more free speech."
-- Molly Ivins
"Oh how I wish I were a trinity,
So if I lost a part of me,
I'd still have two of the same to live."
-- Indigo Girls
"The left has forgotten that every major social movement in American history --whether the abolition of slavery or women's sufferage or child labor reform or, most famously, civil rights-- was fueled and driven in large part by religion....Just as the right's been controlled by a bunch of religious fundamentalists, the left's been controlled by a group of secular fundamentalists. The left doesn't get it, and they're disrespectful and disdainful and they forget their own progressive history."
-- Jim Wallis
"May your love be there to guide us,
May it always keep us strong,
May we walk within your footsteps,
As you lead us ever on."
-- Dan Fogelberg
* I cannot find the exact citation for this quote, and would love for somebody to contact me with it....
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
-- Jesus of Nazareth
"Religion is a picture window,
Life is not a pretty picture..."
-- Patty Larkin
"I don't know if everyone has to come to terms with religion, but everyone has to come to terms with mystery, which is the business of religion."
-- Patricia Hempl
"God has no hands and feet but ours"
-- Theresa of Avila
"Distant nation...my community.
Street person...my responsibility.
If I have a care in the world, I have a gift to bring."
-- Indigo Girls
"Theology is the study of God and his (sic) ways. For all we know, dung beetles may study man (sic) and his (sic) ways and call it humanology. If so, we would probably be more touched and amused than irritated. One hopes that God feels likewise."
-- Frederick Buechner
"Logic lives in a bucket of paint,
Maybe I'm wrong, but maybe I ain't
Cause both can be spread with no trouble at all."
-- Darden Smith
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that"
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Still you argue for an option,
And you angle for your case.
Like you wouldn't know a burning bush,
If it blew up in your face...
Don't ask what you are not doing,
Because your voice cannot command.
In time, we will move mountains.
And it will come, through your hands."
-- John Hiatt
"Why do you worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear? Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"
-- Jesus of Nazareth
“Pay mind to your own life, your own health, and wholeness. A bleeding heart is of no help to anyone if it bleeds to death.”
-- Frederick Buechner
"I don't like going to bed at night, and I don't like getting up in the morning."
-- Snoopy the Dog
"Don't be tempted by the shiny apple; Don't you eat of the bitter fruit.
Hunger only for a taste of justice; Hunger only for a world of truth,
'Cause all that you have is your soul."
--Tracy Chapman
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-- Mahatma Gandhi
"Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can."
-- John Wesley
"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
--George Carlin
"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."
-- John Lennon
"The greatest tragedy of theology in the past three hundred years has been the divorce of the theologian from the poet, the dancer, the musician, the painter, the dramatist, the actress, the movie-maker."
-- M.D. Chenu.
"But don’t confuse caring for weakness
You can’t put that label on me
The truth is my weapon of mass protection
And I believe truth sets you free"
-- Willie Nelson
"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you."
-- Jesus of Nazareth
"People with no hope will steal yours."
-- Martin Luther King Jr. *
"We wouldn't worry so much about what people think of us, if we knew how seldom they do."
-- Oscar Wilde
"May we all find salvation in professions that heal."
-- Shawn Colvin
"You got to sing, like you don't need the money,
Love like you'll never get hurt,
You've got to dance, dance, dance, like no one is watching,
It's got to come from the heart, it you want it to work."
-- Guy Clark
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true."
-- Martin Luther King Jr.
"Until long after it matters,
you don't know if you're good enough.
You can bet your dreams will be battered,
So just go after what you love."
-- John Gorka
"Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery that it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is Grace."
-- Frederick Buechner
"The antidote for too much free speech is always more free speech."
-- Molly Ivins
"Oh how I wish I were a trinity,
So if I lost a part of me,
I'd still have two of the same to live."
-- Indigo Girls
"The left has forgotten that every major social movement in American history --whether the abolition of slavery or women's sufferage or child labor reform or, most famously, civil rights-- was fueled and driven in large part by religion....Just as the right's been controlled by a bunch of religious fundamentalists, the left's been controlled by a group of secular fundamentalists. The left doesn't get it, and they're disrespectful and disdainful and they forget their own progressive history."
-- Jim Wallis
"May your love be there to guide us,
May it always keep us strong,
May we walk within your footsteps,
As you lead us ever on."
-- Dan Fogelberg
* I cannot find the exact citation for this quote, and would love for somebody to contact me with it....
--30--
MLK Day
Jan/17/2005 06:18 PM
What follows
is an absolutely true MLK Day story...
"So, how was school today, Maria?"
"Fine, Daddy."
"What did you learn today, sweetie?"
"We learned about Mar....Martin....Martin Luther..."
"Martin Luther King?"
"Yes! We learned about Martin Luther King."
"What did you learn about Martin Luther King, sweetie?"
"Well....there was this woman. And she got on the bus.......
And she sat down....she sat down on the front of the bus....."
"Yes, that's right, sweetie."
"And when the bus stopped, they ARRESTED HER!"
"Yes...yes, they did, sweetie. But what did Martin Luther King do?"
"Well, he led the protests."
"Yes, that's right, sweetie."
"You see, there were these signs....on the water fountains. And they said 'WHITES ONLY.'"
"Yes, it's sad, but that's true. Back in those days, there were those kind of signs."
"And...and...there were signs on the restaurants that said "WHITE ONLY."
"Yes, yes there were."
"And even on the schools! There were schools where they said "WHITE ONLY."
"Yes, yes, it's hard to believe, sweetie. But that's true."
"But Martin Luther King......he died....."
"Yes, he did, sweetie."
"Somebody SHOT him."
"Yes, they did. But you know, sweet pea, he did a really great thing. He made life better for all of
us. And sometimes, it's important to do the right thing...even if it's hard or painful."
"Yes! Because.....well, because if he didn't do those protests, then Mommy.....well, Mommy couldn't live with us!!"
"Well, I've never thought of it that way, Maria. But you may be right about that...."
"And if Mommy couldn't live with us.....then I.....then I......then I would be CANCELLED!"
"Oh no, sweetie! Nobody as beautiful as you could ever be cancelled."
--------------------------------------------------
Every year at time time, I whip out my favorite MLK song, from the great songwriter, Don Henry. I re-learn the chords again, and if I have gig that week, it's in the set.
It's called "Beautiful Fool."
The song haunted me for years. I first heard it on KERA, back when they actually played music
during an hour when anyone was listening. It was one of those "stop the car, pull over, and listen" moments for me. And after the song was over, all I caught was that the guy's name was "Henry." (This was back before cell phones, and so I couldn't call right in to find out what it was....)
I searched for that song for years, every single time I was in a record store. I had only heard it
once, but the gist of it had stayed with me all that time. Finally, a couple of years ago, I stumbled on a Steve Seskind CD, which had the cut on it, and finally the mystery was solved. It was as amazing a song ten years after the first time I heard it....
Interestingingly, when Erik Balkey was here the other day, he told a similar tale of being haunted by the song. He talked of a show he went to in the early 90s where David Wilcox, Don Henry, and The Billy's were the bill for the night. (What a show!!)
Before Erik left, I played it, and we both sang.
It's an amazing song, and I hope you will come to love it as much as I do.
You can hear Steve Seskin's version here.
Here's to all the "beautiful fools"still out there....
BEAUTIFUL FOOL
by Don Henry
"Martin Luther, who did you think that you were
Appointed by some higher up?
Merely mortal, your plans were unaffordable
No one wants to pay for love
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
Walter Cronkite pre-empted Disney one night
And all us kids were so upset
We thought that you were a trouble instigator
Marching through our TV set
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
To fight a fight without a fist
All human instinct puzzles this
How dare you question our existence
Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus Christ,
history repeats itself so nice
Consistently we are resistant to love
I saw you on the black and white
With blacks and whites applauding you
I saw you on another time
without a sign of life in you
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
Oh, you beautiful fool"
- Don Henry
"So, how was school today, Maria?"
"Fine, Daddy."
"What did you learn today, sweetie?"
"We learned about Mar....Martin....Martin Luther..."
"Martin Luther King?"
"Yes! We learned about Martin Luther King."
"What did you learn about Martin Luther King, sweetie?"
"Well....there was this woman. And she got on the bus.......
And she sat down....she sat down on the front of the bus....."
"Yes, that's right, sweetie."
"And when the bus stopped, they ARRESTED HER!"
"Yes...yes, they did, sweetie. But what did Martin Luther King do?"
"Well, he led the protests."
"Yes, that's right, sweetie."
"You see, there were these signs....on the water fountains. And they said 'WHITES ONLY.'"
"Yes, it's sad, but that's true. Back in those days, there were those kind of signs."
"And...and...there were signs on the restaurants that said "WHITE ONLY."
"Yes, yes there were."
"And even on the schools! There were schools where they said "WHITE ONLY."
"Yes, yes, it's hard to believe, sweetie. But that's true."
"But Martin Luther King......he died....."
"Yes, he did, sweetie."
"Somebody SHOT him."
"Yes, they did. But you know, sweet pea, he did a really great thing. He made life better for all of
us. And sometimes, it's important to do the right thing...even if it's hard or painful."
"Yes! Because.....well, because if he didn't do those protests, then Mommy.....well, Mommy couldn't live with us!!"
"Well, I've never thought of it that way, Maria. But you may be right about that...."
"And if Mommy couldn't live with us.....then I.....then I......then I would be CANCELLED!"
"Oh no, sweetie! Nobody as beautiful as you could ever be cancelled."
--------------------------------------------------
Every year at time time, I whip out my favorite MLK song, from the great songwriter, Don Henry. I re-learn the chords again, and if I have gig that week, it's in the set.
It's called "Beautiful Fool."
The song haunted me for years. I first heard it on KERA, back when they actually played music
during an hour when anyone was listening. It was one of those "stop the car, pull over, and listen" moments for me. And after the song was over, all I caught was that the guy's name was "Henry." (This was back before cell phones, and so I couldn't call right in to find out what it was....)
I searched for that song for years, every single time I was in a record store. I had only heard it
once, but the gist of it had stayed with me all that time. Finally, a couple of years ago, I stumbled on a Steve Seskind CD, which had the cut on it, and finally the mystery was solved. It was as amazing a song ten years after the first time I heard it....
Interestingingly, when Erik Balkey was here the other day, he told a similar tale of being haunted by the song. He talked of a show he went to in the early 90s where David Wilcox, Don Henry, and The Billy's were the bill for the night. (What a show!!)
Before Erik left, I played it, and we both sang.
It's an amazing song, and I hope you will come to love it as much as I do.
You can hear Steve Seskin's version here.
Here's to all the "beautiful fools"still out there....
BEAUTIFUL FOOL
by Don Henry
"Martin Luther, who did you think that you were
Appointed by some higher up?
Merely mortal, your plans were unaffordable
No one wants to pay for love
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
Walter Cronkite pre-empted Disney one night
And all us kids were so upset
We thought that you were a trouble instigator
Marching through our TV set
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
To fight a fight without a fist
All human instinct puzzles this
How dare you question our existence
Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus Christ,
history repeats itself so nice
Consistently we are resistant to love
I saw you on the black and white
With blacks and whites applauding you
I saw you on another time
without a sign of life in you
Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream,
kicking up waves
Dreams weren't meant to come true
That's why they call 'em dreams
Oh, you beautiful fool
Oh, you beautiful fool"
- Don Henry
--30--
Goodbye, Cruel Year (Adios to a rough year for the world)
Dec/31/2004 06:15 PM
Goodbye, Cruel Year (Adios to a rough year for the
world)
Hard to believe how quickly the time continues to turn. I write today on the last day of the year. Those of you who've been following our personal lives know that Dennise won here election. I need to give a big thanks to all of you who voted, volunteered, and helped out.
Judge Dennise Garcia was sworn in on this past Monday, and has been working this week to organize her office and staff. I am here at home with Maria today and am spending a few minutes journaling and blogging about the year that has past.
And on this the last day of the year, I pause to reflect that I have never been quite so glad to see a year end. Don't get me wrong: things are going pretty well in my life, actually. The election of Dennise, for one, was awesome.
Things at church are going well. We're in the midst of a large construction project, and that's been very, very exciting.
It's the world that's a mess. And if each old year is an old man that leaves us, the newborn can't get here quick enough, far as I'm concerned. Let's put this year to bed and never think of it again...
Just about everyone I hang around, day in and day out, feels the same way. From the horrors of an unjust war, and the shameful behavior of Abu Ghraib (warning! graphic link...) ; to the ongoing insurgency in Iraq and a divisive presidential campaign that leaves half of the country feeling hopeless. And, to top it all off, a giant tsunami in South East Asia....as if some horrible exclamation point on a horrible, horrible year.
It can't end too soon.
The war just seemed to get worse and worse the more the year rolled on. More American troops died in the 11th month of this year than in any other month of the entire war. One thousand, three hundred and thirty-one Americans have died altogether, and the wounded may be ten times that many. The Iraqi dead have been estimated at perhaps one hundred times that many. The war has cost, as of this minute, something like 171 billion dollars. (What could THAT money do for South East Asia?)
The incredibly predictable insurgency is growing all the time, and engaging in barbaric, senseless, and horrific acts that shock the world. It's war, of course, and the thing that always "gets ya"in a war are the unintended consequences. Who expected this kind of insurgency?
Well, actually, I did....because violence begets violence every single time.And while I certainly didn't expect the specifics of the insurgency, the insurgency itself is absolutely no surprise to me. And it's one of the reasons I end this year so depressed...because it's all so damn predictable. And the frustrating thing is? I've got a good sense I'll be writing much the same thing at the end of next year too.
Closer to home, the Presidential campaign tore friendships apart, and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. (Will we individually contribute as much to South East Asia as we collectively spent on campaigns this year? It'll be interesting to see...) Half the nation sees little reason for hope, and little desire on the part of the victors to even acknowledge that their half still exists. The other half is frustrated by a lack of a real mandate and the continuing protesting of the "loyal opposition."
Gays and lesbians were used as political footballs by people on all sides of the political debate. And in the midst of it all, we wasted more time thinking about such weighty matters as Martha Stewart's prison cell, the Olsen Twin's drug addiction, and Janet Jackson's boob.
It can't end too soon.
And while we're preoccupied with such asinine things, hundreds of thousands are dead and dying in South East Asia. How about a War on Tsunamis?
Anyone? Bueller?
In the midst of all this reflection on the negative energy I hope and pray is released away from our world, I found myself listening to a Peter Mayer CD in the car the other day. He was the headliner at the 5th Street Festival back in November, where I was a songwriter contest finalist. We traded CDs, and I've been listening to his on and off during the holiday season. On the way home from the lakehouse, the day after Christmas, one song realy struck me.
I found myself drawn to a song called "The Play." It's sort of a cross between "Holy Now"and David Wilcox's "Show the Way" in a Unitarian sort of way....
What it reminded me of is that, even in the midst of great human tragedy and pain, there is a bigger picture. And the bigger picture is that we are all small, tiny parts of a huge drama of the universe's unfolding. Our sufferings, while great and all-encompassing to us, are but a small part of everything that's going on around us.
So, I'll share with you that, as the year ends, I'm listening to "The Play" today. And I'm thinking about the REALLY big picture.
Hope you all have a good and blessed New Year.
"The Play," by Peter Mayer
words and music, copyright Peter Mayer
When I go outside at night,
and look up and the stars are bright
Sometimes I lay on the ground
and imagine that the sky is down
And if the earth should then let go,
I'd fall into the stars below
Fall into the stars below
And when I see the red sunset
in its quiet splendor, I reflect that
The sun's not going down at all,
but the earth is turning somersaults
And through a sunlit sea it trails,
and we are on that great big whale
We're riding on that great big whale
When I try to grasp the simple fact of this existence
And think of all the fantasies, fairy tales and wishes
None strike me as more unlikely or magnificent than this is
Hands and faces seen up close,
galaxies through telescopes
Crimson hillsides in the fall,
and more astounding than them all
Are pondering minds with eyes that see
these are deep mysteries
Deep mysteries, mm
When I try to grasp the simple fact of this existence
And think of all the fantasies, fairy tales and wishes
None strike me as more unlikely or magnificent than this is
Like a strange, enchanting play of impossible dimensions
The setting and the stage run light years in all directions
And the breathless scenes and the story line defy comprehension
And when I think of all the roles
in this production, all I know
Is I'm in the cast, but could it be,
I'm also in a front row seat
To sit in my amazement, gazing,
to ooh and ahh and sigh and say
My, what a wonderful play
My, my, my - my"
Hard to believe how quickly the time continues to turn. I write today on the last day of the year. Those of you who've been following our personal lives know that Dennise won here election. I need to give a big thanks to all of you who voted, volunteered, and helped out.
Judge Dennise Garcia was sworn in on this past Monday, and has been working this week to organize her office and staff. I am here at home with Maria today and am spending a few minutes journaling and blogging about the year that has past.
And on this the last day of the year, I pause to reflect that I have never been quite so glad to see a year end. Don't get me wrong: things are going pretty well in my life, actually. The election of Dennise, for one, was awesome.
Things at church are going well. We're in the midst of a large construction project, and that's been very, very exciting.
It's the world that's a mess. And if each old year is an old man that leaves us, the newborn can't get here quick enough, far as I'm concerned. Let's put this year to bed and never think of it again...
Just about everyone I hang around, day in and day out, feels the same way. From the horrors of an unjust war, and the shameful behavior of Abu Ghraib (warning! graphic link...) ; to the ongoing insurgency in Iraq and a divisive presidential campaign that leaves half of the country feeling hopeless. And, to top it all off, a giant tsunami in South East Asia....as if some horrible exclamation point on a horrible, horrible year.
It can't end too soon.
The war just seemed to get worse and worse the more the year rolled on. More American troops died in the 11th month of this year than in any other month of the entire war. One thousand, three hundred and thirty-one Americans have died altogether, and the wounded may be ten times that many. The Iraqi dead have been estimated at perhaps one hundred times that many. The war has cost, as of this minute, something like 171 billion dollars. (What could THAT money do for South East Asia?)
The incredibly predictable insurgency is growing all the time, and engaging in barbaric, senseless, and horrific acts that shock the world. It's war, of course, and the thing that always "gets ya"in a war are the unintended consequences. Who expected this kind of insurgency?
Well, actually, I did....because violence begets violence every single time.And while I certainly didn't expect the specifics of the insurgency, the insurgency itself is absolutely no surprise to me. And it's one of the reasons I end this year so depressed...because it's all so damn predictable. And the frustrating thing is? I've got a good sense I'll be writing much the same thing at the end of next year too.
Closer to home, the Presidential campaign tore friendships apart, and costs hundreds of millions of dollars. (Will we individually contribute as much to South East Asia as we collectively spent on campaigns this year? It'll be interesting to see...) Half the nation sees little reason for hope, and little desire on the part of the victors to even acknowledge that their half still exists. The other half is frustrated by a lack of a real mandate and the continuing protesting of the "loyal opposition."
Gays and lesbians were used as political footballs by people on all sides of the political debate. And in the midst of it all, we wasted more time thinking about such weighty matters as Martha Stewart's prison cell, the Olsen Twin's drug addiction, and Janet Jackson's boob.
It can't end too soon.
And while we're preoccupied with such asinine things, hundreds of thousands are dead and dying in South East Asia. How about a War on Tsunamis?
Anyone? Bueller?
In the midst of all this reflection on the negative energy I hope and pray is released away from our world, I found myself listening to a Peter Mayer CD in the car the other day. He was the headliner at the 5th Street Festival back in November, where I was a songwriter contest finalist. We traded CDs, and I've been listening to his on and off during the holiday season. On the way home from the lakehouse, the day after Christmas, one song realy struck me.
I found myself drawn to a song called "The Play." It's sort of a cross between "Holy Now"and David Wilcox's "Show the Way" in a Unitarian sort of way....
What it reminded me of is that, even in the midst of great human tragedy and pain, there is a bigger picture. And the bigger picture is that we are all small, tiny parts of a huge drama of the universe's unfolding. Our sufferings, while great and all-encompassing to us, are but a small part of everything that's going on around us.
So, I'll share with you that, as the year ends, I'm listening to "The Play" today. And I'm thinking about the REALLY big picture.
Hope you all have a good and blessed New Year.
"The Play," by Peter Mayer
words and music, copyright Peter Mayer
When I go outside at night,
and look up and the stars are bright
Sometimes I lay on the ground
and imagine that the sky is down
And if the earth should then let go,
I'd fall into the stars below
Fall into the stars below
And when I see the red sunset
in its quiet splendor, I reflect that
The sun's not going down at all,
but the earth is turning somersaults
And through a sunlit sea it trails,
and we are on that great big whale
We're riding on that great big whale
When I try to grasp the simple fact of this existence
And think of all the fantasies, fairy tales and wishes
None strike me as more unlikely or magnificent than this is
Hands and faces seen up close,
galaxies through telescopes
Crimson hillsides in the fall,
and more astounding than them all
Are pondering minds with eyes that see
these are deep mysteries
Deep mysteries, mm
When I try to grasp the simple fact of this existence
And think of all the fantasies, fairy tales and wishes
None strike me as more unlikely or magnificent than this is
Like a strange, enchanting play of impossible dimensions
The setting and the stage run light years in all directions
And the breathless scenes and the story line defy comprehension
And when I think of all the roles
in this production, all I know
Is I'm in the cast, but could it be,
I'm also in a front row seat
To sit in my amazement, gazing,
to ooh and ahh and sigh and say
My, what a wonderful play
My, my, my - my"
--30--