"America, Where Are You Now...."- Steppenwolf’s The Monster-Take Three

 

 

 

A YouTube Film Clip Of Steppenwolf Performing Monster. Ah, Those Were The Days

From The Pen Of Frank Jackman

Steppenwolf: 16 Greatest Hits, Steppenwolf, Digital Sound, 1990

America where are you now?

Don't you care about your sons and daughters?

Don't you know we need you now

We can't fight alone against the monster

Chorus Line From The Monster

The heavy rock band Steppenwolf (maybe acid rock is better signifying that the band started in the American dream gone awry 1960s night when the likes of the Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Byrds and groups like the transformed Beatles and Stones held forth, rather than in the ebb-tide 1970s when the harder sounds of groups like Aerosmith and Black Sabbath were  needed to drown out the fact that  we were in decisive retreat),  one of many that was thrown up by the musical counter-culture of the mid to late 1960's was a cut above and apart from some of the others due to their scorching lyrics provided mainly, but not solely, by gravelly-voiced lead singer John Kay. That musical counter-culture not only put a premium on band-written materials, as against the old Tin Pan Alley somebody wrote the lyrics, somebody else sang the song division before Bob Dylan and the Beatles made singer-songwriters fashionable) but also was a serious reaction to the vanilla-ization of rock and popular music in the earlier part of the decade that drove many of us from the AM radio dials and into “exotic” stuff like electric blues (country too, come to think of it) and the various strands of folk music.    

Some bands played, consciously played, to the “drop out” notion popular at the times. “Drop out” of rat-race bourgeois society and it money imperative, its “white picket fence with little white house attached” visions. That the place where many of the young, the post-World War II baby-boomer young, now sadly older, had grown up and were in the process of repudiating for a grander vision of the world, the “world turned upside down” as an old time British folk tune had it. Drop out and create a niche somewhere (a commune maybe out away from the rat-race places which did spring up in the likes of Taos, Oregon, and the hills of old Vermont which if you care to see what happened to that old vision once the seers got older you can go to and witness first hand these days), so some physical somewhere perhaps but certainly some other mental somewhere and the music reflected that disenchantment. That mental somewhere involved liberal use of drugs to induce, well, who knows what it induced but it felt like a new state of consciousness so make of that what you. The drugs used, in retrospect, to make you less “uptight” not a bad thing then, or today. The whole underlying premise though whether well thought out or not was that music, the music of the shamans of the youth tribe, was the revolution. An idea that for a short while before all hell broke loose with the criminal antics of Lyndon Johnson and one Richard M. Nixon, all hell broke loose with Tet, with May 1968, with Chicago 1968, with the “days of rage,” with Altamont and with a hundred other lesser downers I subscribed to. Before those events and a draft notice made me get “religion” on the need for “in-their-face” political struggle.        

Musically much of that stuff was ephemeral, merely background music, and has not survived (except in lonely YouTube cyberspace). Yeah, Neal Young, the Airplane, the Doors, the Byrds still sound good but a lot of it is wha-wha music now you know Ten Years After, a lot of Rod Stewart, even the acid-etched albums by the Beatles and Stones, it is no wonder that they do not have any tunes from Their Satanic Majesties on their playlists). [CL1]  Others, flash pan “music is the revolution,” period exclamation point, end of conversation bands assumed a few pithy lyrics would carry the day and dirty old bourgeois society would run and hide in horror leaving the field open, open for, uh, us. That music too, except for gems like The Ballad Of Easy Rider, is safely ensconced in vast cyberspace.

Steppenwolf was different, was political from the get-go taking on the deadliness of bourgeois culture, worse the chewing up of their young in unwinnable wars with no apologies or second thoughts, the pusher man, the draft resister and lots of other subjects (and a few traditional songs to about the love that got away, things like that).  Not all the lyrics worked, then or now. (See below for some that do). Not all the words are now some forty plus years later memorable. After all every song is written with some current audience in mind, and notions of immortality as the fate of most songs are displaced. Certainly some of the less political lyrics seem entirely forgettable. As does some of the heavy decibel rock sound that seems to wander at times like, as was the case more often than not, and more often that we, deep in some a then hermetic drug thrall, would have acknowledged, or worried about. But know this- when you think today about trying to escape from the rat-race of daily living then you have an enduring anthem Born To Be Wild that still stirs the young (and not so young). If Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone was one musical pillar of the youth revolt of the 1960's then Born To Be Wild was the other.

And if you needed (or need) a quick history lesson about the nature of American society in the 1960's, what it was doing to its young, where it had been and where it was heading (and seemingly still is as we finish up the Afghan wars and the war signals for deep intervention into the Syria civil war or another war in Iraq get louder, or both are beating the war drums fiercely) then the trilogy under the title "The Monster" (the chorus which I have posted above and lyrics below) said it all.

Then there were songs like The Pusher Man a song that could be usefully used as an argument in favor of decriminalization of drugs today and get our people the hell out of jail and moving on with their lives and others then more topical songs like Draft Resister to fill out their playlist. The group did not have the staying power of others like The Rolling Stones but if you want to know, approximately, what it was like for rock groups to seriously put rock and roll and a hard political edge together give a listen to the group sometime.

Words and music by John Kay, Jerry Edmonton, Nick St. Nicholas and Larry Byrom

(Monster)

Once the religious, the hunted and weary

Chasing the promise of freedom and hope

Came to this country to build a new vision

Far from the reaches of kingdom and pope

Like good Christians, some would burn the witches

Later some got slaves to gather riches

But still from near and far to seek America

They came by thousands to court the wild

And she just patiently smiled and bore a child

To be their spirit and guiding light

And once the ties with the crown had been broken

Westward in saddle and wagon it went

And 'til the railroad linked ocean to ocean

Many the lives which had come to an end

While we bullied, stole and bought our a homeland

We began the slaughter of the red man

But still from near and far to seek America

They came by thousands to court the wild

And she just patiently smiled and bore a child

To be their spirit and guiding light

The blue and grey they stomped it

They kicked it just like a dog

And when the war over

They stuffed it just like a hog

And though the past has it's share of injustice

Kind was the spirit in many a way

But it's protectors and friends have been sleeping

Now it's a monster and will not obey

(Suicide)

The spirit was freedom and justice

And it's keepers seem generous and kind

It's leaders were supposed to serve the country

But now they won't pay it no mind

'Cause the people grew fat and got lazy

And now their vote is a meaningless joke

They babble about law and order

But it's all just an echo of what they've been told

Yeah, there's a monster on the loose

It's got our heads into a noose

And it just sits there watchin'

Our cities have turned into jungles

And corruption is stranglin' the land

The police force is watching the people

And the people just can't understand

We don't know how to mind our own business

'Cause the whole worlds got to be just like us

Now we are fighting a war over there

No matter who's the winner

We can't pay the cost

'Cause there's a monster on the loose

It's got our heads into a noose

And it just sits there watching

(America)

America where are you now?

Don't you care about your sons and daughters?

Don't you know we need you now

We can't fight alone against the monster

© Copyright MCA Music (BMI)
All rights for the USA controlled and administered by
MCA Corporation of America, INC

--Used with permission--

Born To Be Wild

Words and music by Mars Bonfire

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

And whatever comes our way

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning

Heavy metal thunder

Racin' with the wind

And the feelin' that I'm under

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

Like a true nature's child

We were born, born to be wild

We can climb so high

I never wanna die

Born to be wild

Born to be wild

© MCA Music (BMI)
All rights for the USA controlled and administered by
MCA Corporation of America, INC

--Used with permission--

THE PUSHER

From the 1968 release "Steppenwolf"

Words and music by Hoyt Axton

You know I've smoked a lot of grass

O' Lord, I've popped a lot of pills

But I never touched nothin'

That my spirit could kill

You know, I've seen a lot of people walkin' 'round

With tombstones in their eyes

But the pusher don't care

Ah, if you live or if you die

God damn, The Pusher

God damn, I say The Pusher

I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man

You know the dealer, the dealer is a man

With the love grass in his hand

Oh but the pusher is a monster

Good God, he's not a natural man

The dealer for a nickel

Lord, will sell you lots of sweet dreams

Ah, but the pusher ruin your body

Lord, he'll leave your, he'll leave your mind to scream

God damn, The Pusher

God damn, God damn the Pusher

I said God damn, God, God damn The Pusher man

Well, now if I were the president of this land

You know, I'd declare total war on The Pusher man

I'd cut him if he stands, and I'd shoot him if he'd run

Yes I'd kill him with my Bible and my razor and my gun

God damn The Pusher

Gad damn The Pusher

I said God damn, God damn The Pusher man\

© Irving Music Inc. (BMI)

--Used with permission--

Even as Chancellor Merkel of Germany, President Hollande of France and even the British government have requested in the strongest terms that  the U.S. not give military aid to Ukraine, the Obama administration has indicated that it is considering a massive increase in military aid to the government based in Kiev. The Kiev government, installed by a U.S.-backed coup about a year ago, has been attempting to subdue the Russian speaking majorities in the eastern and southern parts of the country who refused to recognize its legitimacy and rose up in rebellion. Please send an email to President Obama urging him to refrain from giving military arms to Ukraine. The German leader and President Obama held a joint press conference in Washington on the eve of another round of negotiations involving Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Minsk on Wednesday. President Obama did not rule out sending additional arms to Ukraine, even though he acknowledged that the arms could get in the wrong hands and could encourage the Ukraine government into more aggressive action that could escalate the war -- though he did agree to refrain from any such decision until after tne next round of negotiations. Ask President Obama to listen to the wisdom of European leaders who have the most to lose and agree to work with them for diplomatic solutions recognizing the legitimate needs of all sides in the conflict. Ukraine and neighboring countries, with southeast region in yellow. Crimea, shown in red, reunited with the Russian Federation after the coup in Kiev. The Ukrainian civil strife has recently reached a critical turning point and threatens to become a proxy war between nuclear armed NATO, backing Kiev, and nuclear armed Russia, which has supported the uprising in the Russian speaking East of Ukraine.   Many experts have argued that the US/NATO push into Eastern Europe after the collapse of the Soviet Union is the real source of tension with Russia and of the push for regime change which led to the coup in Kiev. The US government spent $5 billion supporting intensely anti-Russian elements which achieved regime change in Kiev and which are now waging a vicious asymmetrical war against the ethnic Russian majority in the Southeast of Ukraine. The opposition to the Kiev regime has grown in the rebel regions of Donetz and Lugarsk as a result of the death of over 5000 (most of them attributed to the bombing and shelling of eastern cities by the Ukrainian forces) and a refugee crisis which has driven more than a million from their homes in the same region. Now is the time to turn negotiation and to diplomacy -- not to send weapons to Kiev. Standing with you for peace, Shelagh Foreman Program Director

Join Massachusetts Peace Action - or renew your membership today!   Dues are $40/year for an individual, $65 for a family, or $10 for student/unemployed/low income.  Members vote for leadership and endorsements, receive newsletters and discounts on event admissions.  Donate now and you will be a member in good standing through December 2015! Your financial support makes this work possible! Massachusetts Peace Action, 11 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138 617-354-2169  • info@masspeaceaction.org • Follow us on Facebook or Twitter Click here to unsubscribe

“This Human Rights Group Is A Model For How The U.S. Can End Slave Labor…” Huffington Post highlights CIW’s Presidential Medal, model for ending slave labor; Wendy’s campaign starts heating up for Valentine’s Day! Today, we bring you two quick hits from the Fair Food front! First up, the Huffington Post just published an excellent piece on the CIW’s fight to end modern-day slavery, prompted by last month’s big White House news.  The article lays out the unprecedented results of the Fair Food Program, then goes on to break down the model itself, which offers a blueprint for the prevention of slavery, sexual violence, and other systemic abuses in low-wage industries.  Here below is a brief excerpt (though we strongly encourage you to check out the full piece, when you have a moment!): This Human Rights Group Is A Model For How The U.S. Can End Slave Labor A small group of workers in Florida began meeting weekly back in 1993 in a room borrowed from a local church to talk about how they could start improving their lives. About 22 years later, that small group has transformed into a powerful force for fairness in the labor market — and even the White House has noticed... Don't miss the rest of the Huffington Post article -- and a little inspiration from Immokalee's kids for Valentine's Day -- over at the CIW website!

A Briefing on the Federal Budget

When: Sunday, February 22, 2015, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Where: encuentro 5 • 9A Hamilton Place • across from Park Street T • Boston

 

 

Featuring:

Carolyn Federoff, AFGE Local 3258 and Vice President, Mass. AFL-CIO

Doug Hall, Executive Director, National Priorities Project

Michael Kane, Executive Director Mass. Alliance of HUD Tenants 

Budget decisions made in Washington this year could have a profound impact our quality of life for years to come.

• What’s going on in these tense budget discussions between the President and Congress?
• How will our constituencies be impacted by these discussions?
• What can we do to make sure that our priorities influence these budget decisions?

In the 2012 election, members of dozens of Massachusetts groups placed the Budget for All public policy question on the ballot in state and senate districts across the Commonwealth. Democrat, Republican and Independent voters in all 90 cities and towns where it was on the ballot voted overwhelming to send these budget priorities to Congress and the President: a) Prevent cuts to Medicaid, Social Security, housing and other vital programs; b) create and protect jobs by investing in renewable energy, manufacturing, education and public services; c) Provide Revenues for these purposes by ending tax breaks for large corporations and very high incomes and by redirecting Pentagon spending and bringing all U.S. troops home from Afghanistan now.

So now we have to figure out how to insist that new federal budgets reflect these priorities. Now is the time for social justice, climate, labor and peace folks come together, get up to speed on the developing budget debate and its likely impacts, and work together for budget priorities that reflect our values. See you on the 22nd! 

United for Justice with Peace is a coalition of peace and justice organizations and community peace groups in the Greater Boston region. The UJP Coalition, formed after September 11th, seeks global peace through social and economic justice. Help us continue to do this critical work! Make a donation to UJP today.
info@justicewithpeace.org	617-383-4857	www.justicewithpeace.org

Upcoming Events: 

WHO YOU GONNA BELIEVE?

Most of us don’t need to be reminded that mainstream media coverage of international conflicts where the US government has an interest is thoroughly unreliable.  We all remember the relentless war boosterism in the lead up to the invasion of Iraq, which even our press now (after the fact) acknowledges as misleading, if not full of conscious lies.  We were not fooled then. We recognized that the issue was not a matter of defending the bloody regime of Saddam Hussein, but averting an illegal war that would have catastrophic results. 

 

Now that new wars are being promoted in Syria, Ukraine and against Iran, we have to continuously remind ourselves that reporting in the corporate press is entirely biased and should be met with the utmost skepticism.  It’s not that mainstream reporting is necessarily false, only that it is almost useless as a basis for understanding the reality behind US foreign policy aims.  Sometimes the press reports outright lies; sometimes it omits important context by design or ignorant trust in “reliable sources” in government; sometimes it just routinely uses US-establishment framing.  (For example, Ukrainian rebels are invariably labeled as “Russian-supported;” Hezbollah is always “Iran-backed.“  When was the last time you read in the press “US-supported Ukraine,” or US-supported Israel”? Even when the MSM reports the truth, it is buried in an avalanche of conventional wisdom -- or simply ignored by the ongoing official narrative.

 

As before, it can be confusing when the purported enemies of the US are themselves unsavory.  It goes without saying that in opposing US (or other) interventions, we are not automatically supporting the regimes or movements targeted by the US propaganda machine.

 

Our focus needs to be on opposing our own government’s militarized and lawless policy, which is not about promoting democracy anywhere, except occasionally by accident. The photo here shows members of the US-backed Ukrainian government Azov Battalion with some of their favorite symbols.  This is supposed to be “our side.”

 

NYT Whites Out Ukraine’s Brown Shirts

Veterans for Peace sues City of Boston for St. Patrick's Peace Parade permit

The suit challenges City's eleven month delay in acting on permit application and charges favoritism for South Boston parade organizers who continue to exclude most LGBT groups… the city has refused to act in a timely way on VFP's application for a permit to hold its annual St. Patrick's Peace Parade beginning at noon in Boston on March 15. The delay prevents VFP from being able to effectively organize for its parade and impedes its message.  More

 

SAVE THE DATE!

Sunday, March 15

St. Patrick's Peace Parade

11am, D Street / West Broadway, Boston

Please join us for our 5th Annual Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade, the Alternative People’s Parade for Peace, Equality, Jobs, Environmental Stewardship, Social and Economic Justice!  (More details to follow)

Youth Jobs Rally In Boston 

 

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Thursday, February 19

Youth Jobs Rally

11:30am: Old South Church - 645 Boylston St, Boston,

Join the Youth Jobs Coalition and Jobs Not Jails and over 1,000+ young people in solidarity as they march from Old South Church (meet there at 11am) in Copley Square in Boston and then proceed to the Statehouse. Once at the State House, there will be a rally and a meeting to prep you for meeting with your state legislators after which you will meet with your state legislators.

 

Governor Baker is proposing to cut $350,000 from youth jobs in 2015. Stand in solidarity with our young people and tell the Governor and other elected officials to fund our future. Read more here.

 

Tentative schedule: 11:30am: Rally;12:30pm: March to Statehouse; 1:30pm: Brief legislative training on advocating for youth jobs funding budget line item in Garner Auditorium; 1:45-3:30pm: Meetings with your legislators

 

Stop the school to prison pipeline with youth jobs! Pledge to attend.