Drop Beats Not Bombs (A Music Discussion)

[Noah]

Hello,
as most of you know, I am working on getting some peaceful music together to be used on the Beyond War Site, as well as on our Facebook and MySpace pages.

So far it seems like the best place to create a playlist of full songs is on YouTube. I started a new account over there with a music playlist - We will probably merge the playlist with the Original Beyond War You Tube Account.


I'd love to hear some ideas from you all, I'm sure we can come up with some great ideas - many of you have already sent some great ones already.

If you can respond with the song/artist you are thinking of, and if possible a link to the YouYube video, as well as the lyrics. I think this will be a great way for us to vote together on which songs should be included on our various social networking sites.

I also created a Last FM and iLike, and Jango account but it seems that they only offer clips of songs - does anyone know of a free site where we can create playlists of music?

I will be posting lots of music over the course of the next few days - I look forward to hearing your feedback.

My number one choice for music is the song "Bomb The World" by Michael Franti and Spearhead.

BOMB THE WORLD lyrics SPEARHEAD
Please tell me the reason 
behind the colors that you fly 

love just one nation 

and the whole world we divide 

you say you’re “sorry” 

say, “there is no other choice” 

but god bless the people them 

who cannot raise their voice 



(chorus) 

we can chase down all our enemies 

bring them to their knees 

we can bomb the world to pieces 

but we can’t bomb it into peace 

whoa we may even find a solution 

to hunger and disease 

we can bomb the world to pieces 

but we can’t bomb it into peace 



violence brings one thing 

more more of the same 

military madness 

the smell of flesh and burning pain 

so I sing out to the masses 

stand up if you’re still sane! 

To all of us gone crazy 

I sing this one refrain 



(chorus) 



and I sing power to the peaceful 

love to the people y’all 

power to the peaceful 

love to the people y’all

LyricsBay | BOMB THE WORLD lyrics SPEARHEAD

[Noah]

Beau suggested the song "Ain't No Reason" by Brett Dennen


Brett Dennen - Ain't No Reason Lyrics
There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way
We do it every day

Preachers on the podiums speaking the sayings
Prophets on the sidewalk begging for change

Lyrics Provided By ZoneLyrics.net

Old ladies laughing from the fire escape
Cursing my name

I got a basket full of lemons and they all taste the same
A window and a pigeon with a broken wing
You could spend your whole life working for something
Just to have it taken away

People walk around pushing back their debts
Wearing paychecks like necklaces and bracelets
Talking about nothing, not thinking 'bout death
Every little heartbeat, every little breath

People walk a tight rope on a razors edge
Carrying their hurt and hatred and weapons
It could be a bomb, or a bullet or a pen
Or thought, or a word or a sentence

There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they've always been and they intend to stay
I don't know why I say the things I say
But I say them anyway

But love will come, set me free
Love will come, set me free, I do believe
Love will come, set me free, I know it will
Love will come, set me free, yes

Prison walls still standing tall
Some things never change at all
Keep on building prisons, gonna fill them all
Keep on building bombs, gonna drop them all

Working your fingers bare to the bone
Breaking your back, make you sell your soul
Like a lung, it's filled with cold
Suffocating slow

The wind blows wild and I may move
The politicians lie and I am not a fool
You don't need no razor or a three piece suit
To argue the truth

They air on my skin in the world under my toes
Slavery stitched to the fabric of my clothes
Chaos and commotion wherever I go
Love I try to follow

Love will come, set me free
Love will come, set me free, I do believe
Love will come, set me free, I know it will
Love will come, set me free, yes

There ain't no reason things are this way
It's how they've always been and they intend to stay
I can't explain why we live this way
We do it every day

[Noah]

Dave K. kindly suggested a few tunes as well:

"Wonderful World, Beautiful People" by Jimmy Cliff


Lyrics: Eh---yeah
wonderful world
beautiful people.
You and your girl things could be pretty.
But underneath this there is a secret.
That nobody can repeat.

Take a look
at the world

and the state that it's in today

I am sure you'll agree.
We all could make it a better way.
With our love put together.
Ev'rybody learn to love each other.
Instead of fussing and fighting

cheating but biting
scandalising and hating.
Baby we could have a

R E F R A I N :

Talkin' 'bout the wonderful world
beautiful people.
you and your girl things could be pretty.
But underneath this there is a secret.
That nobody can repeat.

Man and woman
girl and boy.
Let us try to give a helping hand.
This is know and I'm sure.
That the love we all could understand.
This is our world

can't you see ?
Everybody wants to live and be free.
Instead of fussing and fighting

cheating but biting
scandalizing and hating.
Baby we could have a.

Another Jimmy Cliff tune - "Vietnam"


Lyrics:

Hey
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam.
Yesterday I got a letter
from my friend
fighting in Vietnam

and this is what he had to say:
'tell all my friends
that I'll be coming home soon

my time 'll be up some time in june.
Don't forget' he said
'to tell
my sweet Mary

her golden lips as sweet as cherries'.
And it came from:
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam!

It was just the next day
his mother got a Telegram

it was addressed from Vietnam.
Now mistress Brown she lives in the U.S.A
and this is
what she wrote and said:
'Don't be alarmed'
she told me the telegram said

'but mistress Brown
your son is dead!'
and it came from:
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam!

Somebody please stop that war now!
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam!

And one more - "One Planet People" by Fishbone


I can't seem to find the lyrics to this one. Dave, do you know them? Anybody else?

[Noah]

I started the playlist over at the Beyond War YouTube page - these are some songs that were suggested by Eugene member Martin Jones...

http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?feature=moby

I will continue to add all of the other songs as well - if there are any objections I can easily take specific songs down.

[Noah]

Reading the Pashtun Pacifists article we just read made me think of another song - "A New Kind Of Army" by Anti-Flag. Just like the Pashtuns created the first highly trained non-violent army who refused to kill, Anti-Flag is doing the same with their punk music, and encourging the youth to join together to create a new kind of army - one who refuses to fight.


Lyrics: LOOK BACK... on history, nothing much has changed
THOUSANDS... of soldiers of all countries, all marching the same
Every nation's leader says that our side is right
Every nation's leader says the time has come to fight
But they use the common people to settle their scores
IT'S TIME THAT WE REFUSE TO FIGHT IN ANY OF THEIR WARS!

We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to die
We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to kill
For you
For you!

JOIN NOW... the ranks of all nations who refuse to go to war
REFUSE... to pull the trigger of a gun for leaders 'round the world
I'd rather fight to spread some tolerance & unity
Than buy into their nationalistic brainwashing
Killing mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, common human beings
Not savages but people, like you, like me!

We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to die
We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to kill
For you!

We're looking for a few good men
We're looking for a few good womyn
Who are not afraid to fight against tyranny
But who refuse to fight....with tyranny...tyranny
(refuse!) [x16]

We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to die
We're looking to start a new army, (that's) too smart to fight, too smart to kill
For you
For you!

[note: the spelling of the word "womyn" is not a mis-spelling but a result of feminist conscience]

[Debbie Kaufman]

Hi Noah -

I was particularly drawn to this song because of your insightful connection to the Pashtun Pacifists article, and by the lyrics. The first time I viewed the video, I was put off by the "posing enemy" sections; but I went back again. (I've actually noticed in a couple of other songs as well that the lyrics don't necessarily pose enemies, but the video representations do.) With the exception of the posing enemy parts, I think the video and intense music are powerful, and for me they land firmly in the War is Obsolete category.

This, in combination with some other videos, made me wonder about the tendency of some of the past 8 years to use former President Bush as the representation or symbol for "evil." (I don't mean to imply that I would exclude myself from this group; I wanted to avoid using "we" while acknowledging that I am not the only one. Still working on my not posing enemies skill set.) Now that he is gone (although his legacy certainly is not), how will our symbolism change? Might his exit from the White House allow us to see the importance of the last core practice that we must work together to build a world beyond war?

Thanks for the thought provoking music ideas - and for including the lyrics. Punk not being my most familiar genre, I'm afraid I would have had a tough time understanding the lyrics. =)

Debbie

[Leonora]

Very good points, Debbie, thanks. Separating the visuals from the words makes a big difference in how the piece is experienced. I wonder if anyone has music that doesn't pose enemies, and is about working together toward a positive future?

[Bill Scheurer]

Noah,

I noticed your "Drop Beats, Not Bombs" title. Did you get that from the FOR/Ruckus tour? I'm on the FOR board and was just wondering. Sean & Maryrose would be happy to see what you're doing.

Bill

[Noah]

No,
I actually remembered seeing it on a t-shirt a few years back - I always thought it was a great quote though. Both the FOR and Ruckus groups looks like really cool organizations.

[Bill Scheurer]

Cool. That t-shirt was probably from their tour! Peace out ...

[Noah]

Dave transcribed the lyrics for The Fishbone song "One Planet People" - Thanks!

Yeah

All hail the king of kings,
and the lord of law

Since the start of man it's been our nature,
to learn everything backed by deception

so we don't think anything about real humanity y'all
wish we could feed the world with a block of cheese y'all


(refrain)

and every prophet said it would come
these troubled times

the children scream for water under the sun
in search and they mine

righteous baby get back, time for the people
time for the people today

racist people get back, for one planet people
one planet people


freedom is the key for world unity y'all (world unity)
Babylon must bow, bow to his knees y'all (Babylon must fall)

for total peace and love, let's all agree y'all (can't we all agree)
all these dirty war situations must cease yeah (all wars must cease)


(refrain x's 1)


interlude in Spanish


(refrain x's 1)

righteous people get right, time for the people
time for the people today

racist people get back, for one planet people yeah
for one planet people

HUUU WAAHHHH!!!!!!!!

[Jamison Maier]

Noah, check out Le Tigre's protest song; New Kicks.

Peace Now, Peace Now, Peace Now, Peace Now!

We are gathered here, we come from so many different places.
From different identities, different cultures.
Different backgrounds different religions.
And yet we can gather, under the guides of peace....now...
Peace now!

"We say no to war!"
Peace up, war down!
"We say no to war!"
Peace up, war down!
"We say no to war!"
Peace up, war down!

"We made it. We're here. We're here right now and we're not leaving."

Now I feel you, I feel you people.
Now I feel you, I feel you people.
Now I feel you, I feel you people.
Now I feel you, I feel you people.
Now I feel you, I feel you....

"Now, we have reports that more and more people are just taking on ramps onto the bridge and are just taking it over.. it's just...just..."

"I mean, i'm just like..ahh!"

This is what democracy looks like!
This is what democracy sounds like!
This is what democracy looks like!
This is what democracy sounds like!

"Reports from protests from Amman, Jordan... Amsterdam... and Beirut, Lebanon... East Timor... Florence, Italy...London...Milano, Italy...Paris, France...
In dozens of cities in Spain... Reports in Athens, Georgia... and Austin, Texas... Blacksburg, Virginia... Charleston, South Carolina... Colorado Springs... and
Defiance, Ohio... Denver, Colorado as well as Durango... Geneva, New York and Houston, Texas... Hyannis, Massachussetts...In Hawaii as well...
Lawrence, Kansas... Los Angeles, California... AND I AM ONLY NAMING A FEW!"

Peace...now! Peace...now!

And as Eleanor Roosevelt said...
"It isn't enough to talk about peace, one must believe in it. It isn't enough to believe in it, one must work at it"
And we here today... are working at it!

"Peace is possible, and even necessary. So drop the sword, and pick up the hammer and the saw. And let's build a better world!"

No blood for oil!
We will not be silent!
No blood for oil!
We will not be silent!

"We will not go to war, for a selected president, who wasn't even elected!"

We must stand unbroken, unbound and unashamed
We need healthcare!
We need education!
We need freedom in this nation!
Freedom in this nation!
Freedom in this nation!
Freedom in this nation!

"Thousands of people have taken over 3rd Avenue and are marching north. The crowd stretches at least 15 blocks from 44th street to 59th Street.
The police have just simply... given up."

This is what democracy looks like!
This is what democracy sounds like!
This is what democracy looks like!
This is what democracy sounds like!


peace now
peace now
(repeated behind next lines)
"We will not sell out!
We will not back down!
We will not compromise!
We will go forward,
Until peace is on the world's agenda!"

I started to feel that there were no more heroes in the World.
But Today, I see all the World's heroes standing before me. Here are the Lyrics

"We say no to war!"
No war!
"We say no to war!"
No war!
"We say no to war!"
No war!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8x36gA-yf8

[Noah]

Thanks Jamison - great tune, I forgot about this one, I love the sample usage.