Music to Give Peace a Chance

The unexpected crowd at Woodstock. Photo courtesy of Nancy Eisenstein

The Woodstock music festival of August 1969 was supposed to be a money-maker for the 4 young promoters who launched it. Instead, it became a movement. 

How, exactly, that happened is still a mystery to me. It ought to have been a flop. It had to be moved from the city of Woodstock to a dairy farm, almost at the last minute. Organizers had planned for about 50,000 attendees at the 3-day event. Instead, half a million showed up and workers were so busy scrambling to prepare facilities for them that they couldn’t man the ticket booths. The festival became free. There wasn’t enough food. There were torrential downpours. And yet, the event was groundbreaking in the lives of attendees, with ripple effects that had an outsized impact on society at large. 

Like the young idealists who attended, I share a longing for peace. Unlike them, I don’t think that hallucinogenic drugs or casual sex are a likely pathway out of conflict. But I do agree about the mighty power of music and about the synergy that happens when people gather together to engage in the arts with the hope of making the world a better place. 

Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is located at the site of the original Woodstock Festival

That’s why I’m so excited to be taking part in a Music For Peace Summit next month, on the anniversary and at the site of the Woodstock Festival. It’s being hosted by the Braver Angels Music Network, in partnership with Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York. 

First, there’s the full-day Common Ground Songwriting Workshop on August 13, where we’ll listen deeply to each other across political or ideological divides, and then create songs together. I’ve written about these before and I’m beyond excited to get the chance to participate in one. 

Then, on the afternoon of August 14th, we’ll be doing the Music for Peace Summit, connecting, envisioning, and building skills together with musicians and peacemakers from all over the country. 

And here’s the exciting news: You can participate as well, with or without going to New York. If you want to attend the Common Ground Songwriting Workshop, you can register for that here. 

And if you’re a musician/peacemaker who wants to share your dreams and talents with attendees, even if a trip to New York is not feasible, you can do that by submitting a song for the BMN’s playlist of songs about “What the World Needs to Hear”. These will be played at before and after events at Woodstock. 

If that sounds interesting, you can join the Braver Angels Music Network on Discord (and don’t worry if Discord is new to you, because it’s also new to almost everyone there). There will be a  live screening on Monday, July 14  (6-7:30pm MT), of a documentary about Woodstock and its impact, followed by a Q&A. 

I’m so excited, my son Erik Hudson and I have already written our song that the world needs to here. I’ll close with the lyrics and a demo version.

Anger

(Spoken) Welcome back to Villainy 101. We’ve talked about your mummy issues and your daddy issues, collecting henchmen and multiplying your minions. Today is your most important lesson of the year. How do you win over the masses?

It’s anger. 

Give it up for anger. 

It’s the magic potion

That serves us every time. 

Anger. 

They trust you when you share their outrage

Win them with a swig of poison. 

Then they will help you climb. 

First, you gotta get them all defensive

Convince them that their world is under siege

Then rise in outraged majesty to save them

You’ve got their trust and soon you’ll be their liege

Don’t show your hand, but keep them on a simmer 

And throw some righteous zeal in the pot

Persuade them their opponents are demonic

Stoke the fire until it’s boiling hot

It’s anger. 

Give it up for anger. 

It’s the magic potion

That serves us every time. 

Anger. 

They trust you when you share their outrage

Win them with a swig of poison. 

Then they will help you climb. 

Bagosora inculcated hatred, 

Adolph gathered nations with his ire, 

And Ira,

“Oh I played both sides on Facebook 

And set more than the internet on fire.

Hahahaha)”

If you keep them hating on each other

They can’t unite against your rise to power, 

Before they finally see that you’re the villain

You’ve got them and you’re ruling from your tower

It’s Anger. 

Give it up for anger. 

It’s the magic potion

That serves us every time. 

Anger. 

They trust you when you share their outrage

Win them with a swig of poison. 

Then they will help you climb. 

The only threat is do-gooders who listen

And seek to understand the other side.

But never fear, just say the woke are hopeless.

And bridge-building with bigots isn’t tried.

Shame everyone who sits down at the table

And finds out that they’re not so far apart.

Praise purists and say dialogue is treason. 

Blind their minds and harden every heart. 

With anger. 

Give it up for anger. 

It’s the magic potion

That serves us every time. 

Anger. 

They trust you when you share their outrage

Win them with a swig of poison. 

Then they will help you climb. 

Anger 

Give it up for anger

It’s the magic potion

That guarantees your climb

We'd love your feedback on this song. Does it hit home to you? What works best, and what is not connecting?

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