How do you mend a broken country?
We the Baby Boom generation that coined the slogans “give peace a chance” and “make love notwar” went on to spawn kids and grandkids who have known an abundance of hate and wa
Watching the new BeeGees documentary onHBO, I am reminded of sweaty disco dancing and hot teenage romance, of times when “Stayin’ Alive” was not somethingwe had to think about every day. When I first heard their iconic 1971 hit “How Do YouMend a BrokenHeart,” I was inconsolable after breaking up withmy high school boyfriend of three years.
I hear that song nowand I think of broken hearts and families broken fromdeep political divides and an exploding pandemic. The mendingwe need to do today has more to do with looking outward, beyond our own heartbreaks to massaging the hearts of others.
The mendingwe need to do will come froma sustained show of empathy and compassion and humility, person to person, community to community – cultural character traits that have been glaringly missing.
I amnot amagical healer who can mend a broken country. Though, I do knowhave one magic act that alwaysworks – listening to music, sweet music. So, here I share a few ofmy favorite timeless songs.
These are ones you likely know, too, and have also served as a calming force when thrashing in troubledwaters.
These are songs that never fail
to bring a sense of peace and hope, with messages that can clearly help in mending the many fractures of recent years.
Whocan ever get enough of hearingMarvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell singing “Ain’tNo Mountain High Enough?”
While this is an ode to the commitment of lovers, lyrics like these beloware a sharp reminder to help each other, to be accountable, whatever it takes:
“Listen, baby, ain’t no mountain high enough Ain’t no valley low, ain’t no river wide enough, baby If you need me, call me, no matter where you areNomatter howfar…”
Starting in kindergarten, our parents and teachers encouraged us to be kind to each other, to get along with everybody, no matter howdifferentwe are. Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along” is another tune that reminds us to transfer that basic lesson from
sandbox play into our grown-up relationships, withwords such as this:
“Get along, on down the road We’ve got a long, longway to go Scared to live, scared to dieWe ain’t perfect butwe try Get along whilewe can Always give love the upper hand”
I still play our albums on an old record player and recently heard “Peace Train,” in the velvet-voice of Cat Stevens, whose name is nowYusuf. I am constantly struck that what inspired musicians decades ago are centerpiece issues of today.
We look to 2021 as a promising year that will be a more peaceful ride, as he hoped for in1971, when “Peace Train” rose toNo. 7 on the BillboardHot 100 chart, as Stevens shared:
“Oh, I’ve been smiling lately Dreaming about theworld as one And I believe it could be Someday it’s going to come
“Cause I’m on the edge of darkness There ride the Peace Train Oh, Peace Train take this country Come takeme home again”
“HeavenHelpUs All” could not be a more urgent and crucial call nowas when StevieWonder first performed the song in 1970, thatwas written by Ron Miller ofMotown. Listen toWonder’s song froma half-century ago is a timely thrust into the turmoil of 2020:
“Heaven help the child who never had a homeHeaven help the girl whowalks the street alone… Heaven help the black man if he struggles one more dayHeaven help the white man if he turns his back awayHeaven help the man who kicks the man who has to crawlHeaven help us all”
In1988, the year before the BerlinWall came down, Patti Smith came out with “People
Have the Power.” That phrase holds power as our assaults on democracy hold strong.
The people have the power to say no to hate and bigotry and lies. The people the power to make sure goodness prevails over evil. This stanza fromSmith tells us thatwe, the people, are in charge— ifwe stand united:
“The power to dream, to rule To wrestle theworld fromfools It’s decreed the people rule… I believe everythingwe dream Can come to pass through our union We can turn theworld around”
I end with immortal ballads of the Beatles and the songwriting of John Lennon. There is no need to quote whole paragraphs as these titles are enough to evoke the centralwayswe can mend a country, and each other’s hearts.
“All you need is love.” (Composed with PaulMcCartney). “Give peace a chance.” “Imagine.”