Two countercultural rock songs about revolution written within one year of each other, 1968 and 1969, represent two opposite points of view about revolution. Both have been playing in my head for over 50 years. (see below for complete lyrics.)
In these songs we get two sides of the coin of what was going on in the countercultural zeitgeist at the end of the 60s. "There's something in the air" written by Speedy Keen of the British band Thunderclap Newman in 1969, is a call to literal violent revolutionary action: "hand out the guns and ammo" . . . we're going to "blast our way through here". "The revolution's here, and it's right". ("There's something in the air" was originally titled "Revolution" but the title was changed so people wouldn't confuse it with the Beatle's "Revolution".)
In John Lennon's "Revolution" (written in 1968), he says if you support "minds that hate" "all I can tell you is brother you'll have to wait." Destruction is not the answer. When "you talk about destruction, . . you can count me out". It's not the constitution, that's the problem, it's "your head". "You better free your mind instead".
Lennon also says, "You tell me that it's evolution, well you know, we all want to change the world. . ." But what about that? Isn't the attitude in "Revolution" more evolved than the position taken in "There's something in the air"?
In "There's something in the air", Speedy is saying, "lock up your houses" but also, get your gun, load-up and "blast through here".
Who do we listen to?
Actually both songs are worth taking seriously. If John Lennon had locked himself in his room and not gone outside on that fateful evening on Dec 8, 1980, he wouldn't have been shot. Or if he had armed himself, perhaps even defensively, (that's a stretch because John was a pacifist, and because he was shot from the back. . .), we might imagine a different outcome. Or if his assassin, Mark David Chapman, had taken Lennon's advice and "freed his mind instead" of listening to his demons, John Lennon might have lived to see another day.
Let's be brave enough to re-listen to these songs.
I think most of us vacillate between responding to violence with violence . . . versus stepping back and realizing that violence is a kind of illness or knee-jerk reaction and that it can almost always be avoided.
For me it goes back to that Native American wisdom story of the two wolves (google):
"A Cherokee elder tells a young boy that there are two wolves living inside each of us. One is a good wolf, representing positive traits like love, joy, peace, hope, and compassion. The other is a bad wolf, representing negative traits like anger, greed, envy, hate, and fear.
The boy asks, 'Grandfather, which wolf wins?'
The grandfather replies, 'The one you feed.' "
You know what I think? Well, I don't think John Lennon's nonviolent revolution was "here" when he wrote "Revolution". It was just "in the air". But 58 years have passed since 1968, and 45 years have passed since his murder. I think his revolution is here now, and I think that it's right.
-- -- -- ".
Beatles "Revolution" lyrics (John Lennon, 1968) .youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw
You say you want a revolution / Well, you know / We all wanna change the world / You tell me that it's evolution / Well, you know / We all wanna change the world / But when you talk about destruction / Don't you know that you can count me out / Don't you know it's gonna be alright / Alright. . ./ You say you want a real solution / Well you know /We'd all love to to see the plan / You ask me for a contribution / Well you know / We are doing what we can / but if you want money for people with minds that hate / All I can tell you is brother you have to wait /Don't you know it's gonna be alright / Alright . . / You say you'll change the constitution / Well you know / We all want to change your head / You tell me it's the institution / Well, you know / You'd better free your mind instead / But if go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao / You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow / Don't you know it's gonna be alright / Alright. . .
Thunderclap Newman "There's something in the air" lyrics (1969) .youtube.com/watch?v=qJae3Q2l-BY
Call out the instigators / Because there's something in the air / We got to get together sooner or later / Because the revolution's here / And you know that it's right / And you know that it's right / We have got to get it together / We have got to get it together now / Lock up the streets and houses / Because there's something in the air / We got to get together sooner or later / Because the revolution's here / And you know that it's right / And you know that it's right / We have got to get it together / We have got to get it together now / Hand out the arms and ammo / We're gonna blast our way through here / We got to get together sooner of later / because the revolution's here / And you know it's right / And you know that it's right / We have got to get it together / We have got to get it together now
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