Let's Scale Cliffs that Make Us Grow

Last week, I wrote about the Woodstock music festival of 1969 that became legendary. It was unprecedented then and it has been unparalleled since. It was a three-day rock festival, attended by half a million young people longing for peace, and despite pouring rains, inadequate facilities and a shortage of food, it remained peaceful. It became life-changing for those who attended and later reported that there was a palpable sense of belonging, unity, and collective power in the air. For a long time, it felt to many like proof that the hippie counter-culture was the hope of the future.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono did not attend. They were on their honeymoon when Woodstock happened. But they co-wrote a song two years later that I think encapsulates the ethos of Woodstock, It was titled "Imagine," became Lennon's biggest hit, has been covered by more than 200 artists, and remains so popular today that it was featured in the opening ceremonies of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Lennon's and Ono's most popular song promises peace, but at what price?

Yet, I'm deeply uncomfortable with the song, which suggests we could establish enduring peace if we just did away with religion, nations, possessions, and convictions that we thought were worth dying for; in order to just start living for today. I don't think that's actually a recipe for peace. I think it's a recipe for apathy, which tends to lead toward exploitation and bondage.

Despite all that, I remain touched by the extraordinary legacy of Woodstock: a few days of palpable belonging and peace that gave people a taste of what could be possible. I appreciate it because I'm in pursuit of sustainable peace, and even though the Woodstock phenomenon is often credited to the widespread use of drugs at the festival, I think there was another, often over-looked element that opened the way for people to feel the extraordinary spirit of the event. It is this: when hundreds of thousands showed up at the festival, days ahead of time and before the venue could be fenced, the organizers were faced with a difficult decision. They could take a hardline and clear everybody off of the property, then finish fencing it and only admit those who could pay for tickets. That would allow them to make mountains of money. Or they could let people stay where they were, not charge admission, and maybe lose all the money they'd invested in the event. The organizers decided to do the latter because they feared that setting up a fence at this point would cause a rush at the fence-line, resulting in people getting injured. They valued the the people ahead of their pocketbooks. And that decision, I propose, is what filled the air with a spirit of peace, of everybody being valued and belonging. I like that idea because putting people first is replicateable and a fundamental part of building peace.

What other elements or principles need to be present to create enduring peace and a better world?

It's an important question, and one I ask with a specific purpose because I’m part of the leadership council for the Braver Music Network (BMN) — a collaborative community where musicians and peacebuilders come together to share music and build bridges through storytelling.

As mentioned last week, this month we’re launching a new rhythm of community conversations called the BMN Beat, and the theme is: “What does the world need to hear right now?”

We’re inviting folks to share an original song you’ve written that speaks into this — plus 1–2 short sentences about why the world needs to hear it. These songs will become part of a community playlist that will play during Woodstock Anniversary Week this August at the legendary Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the site of the original Woodstock Music & Art Fair. I will be there as part of the Music for Peace Summit — your music could be part of what I help share.

If you'd like to participate, please join the BMN on Discord, a community organizing app, and post your song in the channel:

#what-the-world-needs-to-hear

Join the Discord here

Finally, I've just finished writing the first draft of some lyrics in response to Lennon's "Imagine." I've paired them with some AI music for now. Here they are:

Scaling Cliffs That Make Us Grow

I don’t want to live upon a plain,

Of crushing uniformity.

I don’t want to eat from lotus trees

Forget my quest and sink in apathy.

Peace is not forgetfulness of strife,

Love is neither indolent nor cheap

We can’t get there by living for today.

We’ll need to climb, and yes, the path is steep

Let’s take it together, you and I

Gath'ring other questers as we go

Let’s seek the broad perspective of the sky,

While scaling cliffs that make us grow.

The slope demands we drop our extra weight,

Our dogmas, prejudice, and every vice.

We’ll pound our anchors in the rocky face

And fashion ropes from all our best advice.

We’ll test each truth to see what gives, what holds.

Then hold each other fast as we ascend,

With burning muscles and securing sweat

We’ll win each other’s hearts and become friends.

So, let’s take it together, you and I

Gath'ring other questers as we go

Let’s seek the broad perspective of the sky,

While scaling cliffs that make us grow.

And when at last we reach the mountain top

And look about together, then we’ll see

With eyes that have become attuned to love.

And hearts that are entwined in unity.

So, let’s take it together, you and I

Gathering other questers as we go

Let’s seek the broad perspective of the sky,

While scaling cliffs that make us grow.

While scaling cliffs that make us grow.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. What do these words convey to you?

I'd love even better to collaborate with someone who wants to put it to their music. If that's you, please email me at info@summitstages.org.

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