"This is the largest group of people ever assembled in one place, and I think
you people have proven something to the world: that a half a million kids can
get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but
fun and music, and I God Bless You for it!"
~Max Yasgur, to the crowd at Woodstock
"Like wow, these people are really beautiful—the cops, the storekeepers,
the army, everybody."
~Laura Glazer, an 18-year-old Woodstock attendee
Last night I caught part of the PBS special Ed Sullivan's Rock & Roll Classics: The '60s, and was surprised by the emotions it evoked and the memories that came flooding back to me. Something about hearing The Association sing "And Then Along Comes Mary", and seeing a very young Mick Jagger prance across the stage (much as he still does today and looking amazingly not much older) singing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", and watching the Beatles perform "She Loves You", took me right back in time. As nostalgia swept over me, I found myself feeling very grateful to have lived through this amazing era of the 60's.
You might say "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." There was no 'sitting it out' in the 60s—it was a time of questioning authority, speaking out for what one believed in and taking action, a time of social harmony and group protest, coming together en masse for social and political change. We had the Civil Rights movement, rioting in the streets, non-violent anti-war protests, sit-ins, love-ins, the Women's Liberation movement, the Sexual Revolution, and loosening up of social mores. How about Woodstock? Talk about social harmony...500,000 young people gathered in a field for three days, camping out in the rain in extremely crowded conditions, and there were no acts of violence. Can you imagine anything like that happening today?
The popular music of the 60s really defined the era. The Beatles embodied the cataclysmic changes throughout the decade, with each new album reflecting those changes. Their early hits of 1963 were simple, innocent love songs: "I Saw Her Standing There", "Please Please Me", and "Love Me Do". By 1967-68 their music was veering more into counter culture and and the psychedelic experience in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Magical Mystery Tour, with songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life". In The White Album they shared their discovery of Eastern spirituality and introduced us to transcendental meditation and sitar music. And the decade ended with the release of Let It Be and the break-up of the band (how we grieved the loss; we had to learn how to let it be and let them go). What a 'long and winding road' it was indeed, and we traveled along with them all the way. Their music expanded our consciousness and our awareness of the world, and reassured us that ultimately 'all you need is love.'
The 60s brought us John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Mother Theresa, the first man in space, and the first walk on the moon. The 60s brought us civil rights, women's rights, a horrific war that we viewed nightly on our TV sets. It also brought freedom of expression, creativity, and light. You might say, "...it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope..." We got to view earth from space for the first time, and it took our breath away, to see this beautiful blue jewel that is our home. It awakened within us an awareness of unity, of our being part of a global community, and inspired notions of harmony, peace, and justice for all people.
Some say it was 'the dawning of the Age of Aquarius' (cue music :-) and the birthing of a new era of enlightenment. In joyful appreciation for all of it, I leave you now with these words of inspiration from John Lennon: "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one." May it be so.
You might say "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." There was no 'sitting it out' in the 60s—it was a time of questioning authority, speaking out for what one believed in and taking action, a time of social harmony and group protest, coming together en masse for social and political change. We had the Civil Rights movement, rioting in the streets, non-violent anti-war protests, sit-ins, love-ins, the Women's Liberation movement, the Sexual Revolution, and loosening up of social mores. How about Woodstock? Talk about social harmony...500,000 young people gathered in a field for three days, camping out in the rain in extremely crowded conditions, and there were no acts of violence. Can you imagine anything like that happening today?
The popular music of the 60s really defined the era. The Beatles embodied the cataclysmic changes throughout the decade, with each new album reflecting those changes. Their early hits of 1963 were simple, innocent love songs: "I Saw Her Standing There", "Please Please Me", and "Love Me Do". By 1967-68 their music was veering more into counter culture and and the psychedelic experience in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Magical Mystery Tour, with songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life". In The White Album they shared their discovery of Eastern spirituality and introduced us to transcendental meditation and sitar music. And the decade ended with the release of Let It Be and the break-up of the band (how we grieved the loss; we had to learn how to let it be and let them go). What a 'long and winding road' it was indeed, and we traveled along with them all the way. Their music expanded our consciousness and our awareness of the world, and reassured us that ultimately 'all you need is love.'
The 60s brought us John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert Kennedy, Mother Theresa, the first man in space, and the first walk on the moon. The 60s brought us civil rights, women's rights, a horrific war that we viewed nightly on our TV sets. It also brought freedom of expression, creativity, and light. You might say, "...it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope..." We got to view earth from space for the first time, and it took our breath away, to see this beautiful blue jewel that is our home. It awakened within us an awareness of unity, of our being part of a global community, and inspired notions of harmony, peace, and justice for all people.
Some say it was 'the dawning of the Age of Aquarius' (cue music :-) and the birthing of a new era of enlightenment. In joyful appreciation for all of it, I leave you now with these words of inspiration from John Lennon: "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people sharing all the world. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will live as one." May it be so.
Nice! Having been there for so much of what you talk about, and being there still with my music and ny tribute band to the Beatles, the Stones, Elton, and so many others, I can completely resonate with you on your thoughts today. Thank you. :o)
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