Music has always had power over me – and it seems that rather than growing out of it, as I age, it just keeps getting more intense. Oh – and somehow in the second half of my life, Patti Smith keeps showing up. Last night I plugged my iPod into my car radio for a drive home from an evening meeting. I opened the sunroof and the windows to the summer night, set the player to "shuffle" and just let it choose. What emerged? THE PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER – the Patti Smith anthem that closed the final night of the 2004 VOTE FOR CHANGE tour – one of the greatest musical experiences of my life.
So there I was – singing along – beating rhythm through the roof window and just so happy. Of course the concert tour was unable to produce the change it sought – so maybe the people don’t always have the power – but even after all the disappointments of my political life – and what for me has been the heartbreak of the past 6 years –the idealism of this song and all that it says: "the people have the power to redeem to work of fools" … and "I believe everything we dream|can come to pass through our union| we can turn the world around| we can turn the earth’s revolution | we have the power — People have the power … " still lifts my heart.
I couldn’t find video of everyone in the tour singing PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER but I did find this and it was so great that even though it’s not what I was writing about, it’s from the same night and you’ll love it. Now I have to go do some work. Enjoy yourselves.
Vote for Change ~ Cleveland ~ Oct 2, 2004
L
Music has the power to cause emotions to well up within us. These feelings are gripping – often irresistible – and seem to emerge from nowhere. These feelings colour our moods, affect our perceptions and generate a behavioural pattern. The indisputable fact about music is its power to evoke emotions. Music has the ability to inevitably tap the still, mysterious deep well of our emotions.
Thanks for posting this. R.E.M. and Bruce are my favorites. I was at this concert in Philadelphia with my brother. My parents had so much fun with you recently. Please give my love to Rick, Josh, and of course, Daniel. Love, Martha
Absolutely, it’s been a heartbreaking six years. Angst would be the right word. Thanks for writing about your trip home from work with People Have the Power. If only we’d all gather together and use it. Thanks for this post. MMH
Mary Margaret thanks so much for noticing this! It was wonderful meeting you in Chicago and I knew we were kindred spirits. I guess all we can do is keep trying; it’s hard though, isn’t it? The music seems to be the keeper of the flame….
I know. I often suprise myself by how often I write about music; it seems to have more power in my own life than I understood. One of unexpected benefits of blogging is that it releases ideas I’d forgotten – or never noticed – that I had.