Speak out, you got to speak out against the madness
You got to speak your mind if you dare
But don’t, no don’t, no, try to get yourself elected
If you do, you had better cut your hair, mmm
And it appears to be a long (Yes, it does)
Appears to be a long
Time, such a long, long, long, long time
Before the dawn, yeah
It’s been a long time comin’
It’s goin’ to be a long time gone
But you know
the darkest hour
is always, always just before the dawn…
Songwriter – David Crosby
Performed by – Crosby, Stills & Nash
AS WE USUALLY do, we take a break from the boring and toxic world of self-serving politicians whose only purpose in life is to perpetuate themselves in power and make politics or public office a family business at the expense of the people’s money.
These self-serving politicians are only there to enrich themselves in office. When they first started their political careers they had second-hand cars, some even just took public transport. But after their first term in office, lo and behold, they now drive or are driven in 4X4 SUVs with matching fat bank accounts.
Politics is now a growth industry and very profitable with more than a thousand percent return on investment, including all the trappings and privileges that goes with being a senator, congressman, governor, mayor, including the councilors and provincial board members.
And to think being a pornstar, an exotic or macho dancer used to be quite profitable; not anymore. Politics is.
I wonder if being a clown still makes money as most of them had career changes jumping to politics.
And we segue to something better – art, or in this case, music although it’s quite ironic that the artist/band and their music, particularly the one we feature, have very strong political statements and protest music which was quite relevant at that time and still is.
From that free online encyclopedia a.k.a. the internet:
Crosby, Stills & Nash is the first album by Crosby, Stills & Nash, released in 1969 on the Atlantic Records label.
The album was a very strong debut for the band, instantly lifting them to stardom. It helped initiate a sea change in popular music away from the ruling late-1960s aesthetic of bands playing blues-based rock music on loud guitars.
Crosby, Stills & Nash presented a new wrinkle in building upon rock’s roots, utilizing folk, blues, and even jazz without specifically sounding like mere duplication. Not only blending voices, the three meshed their differing strengths, David Crosby for social commentary and atmospheric mood pieces, Stephen Stills for his diverse musical skills and for folding folk and country elements subtly into complex rock structures, and Graham Nash for his radio-friendly pop melodies, to create an amalgam of broad appeal.
The album features some of their best known songs particularly “Long Time Gone” (a response to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy) which is also our song in focus.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played this at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, and this song was used to open the film, which shows the workers preparing Max Yasgur’s farm for the festival.
The album was re-released in 1991 and in the liner notes for the 1991 box set Crosby, Stills & Nash, David Crosby wrote about his inspiration for the song “Long Time Gone”: It was written the night Bobby Kennedy was killed. I believed in him because he said he wanted to make some positive changes in America, and he hadn’t been bought and sold like Johnson and Nixon – cats who made their deals years ago with the special interests in this country in order to gain power. I thought Bobby, like his brother, was a leader who had not made those deals. I was already angry about Jack Kennedy getting killed and it boiled over into this song when they got his brother, too.
And you could not be any more politically motivated than that. Unfortunately in the Philippines political violence seems to be the norm.
Just like anywhere else in the world the real reason for political violence or being in politics is simply money and power and not public service.
It’s now the campaign period for the midterm national elections and almost the campaign period for the local elections and it’s becoming more and more absurd.
With all the madness and the circus clowns performing their song and dance acts to woo the gullible voters, here’s some unsolicited advice to maintain your sanity …
Get a hold or download the 1991 box set Crosby, Stills & Nash, chill a bottle of Chablis, play the album loud along with a nice glass of chilled Chablis, perhaps a joint or two of Baguio Gold, chill enjoy the music with your lady or man (as the case maybe), and forget about the circus clowns in town. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)
