MUSIC

DISSEMINATES TRUTH
BECOMING A WEAPON OF MASS INSTRUCTION.

OUR MUSIC IS FAMILY
UNRELATED BY BLOOD.

WE MUST BE VIGILANT.
WE MUST BE CITIZEN SOLDIERS,
STRIPPED OF FEAR.

OUR OPTIMISM IS MAGNIFIED
IN OUR MUSIC.

–Patti Smith

I have thought about these words for many years.  These days, there does not seem to be expansive room for optimism.  Just a few minutes ago I heard report that the Social Infrastructure Bill could not be passed last night, because the Republican House Minority Leader, filibustered in order to prevent a vote on the bill.  To filibuster is to talk indefinitely in order to obstruct action being taken.  To filibuster is to throw a wrench into an operating machine.  Who in their right mind is against early education of all children, enforcement of tax regulation upon the uber-wealthy, those who could easily afford to pay for the benefits of civilization, and pay the least?

The last sentence was not very good.  But to make the point, — things are contradictory to extreme in this republic.  A means to assuage the heat caused by friction between opposing visions of our society, is not apparent.  The exhaustion grows and leads us to violence.

This is not the first time.  In my great grand fathers day, a segment of our population was willing to go to war in order to continue to own their fellows, and build wealth on the backs of slave labor.  There was not a lot of room for optimism in that day, nor is there now.

So I hold onto the music.  And the music holds onto me.

Van Halen’s Best of Both Worlds, live in Tokyo 1989.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

By Van Halen

I don’t know what I been livin’ on
But it’s not enough to fill me up
I need more than just words can say
I need everything this life can give me
‘Cause sometimes it’s not enough, ow
Come on baby close your eyes let go
This can be everything we’ve dreamed
It’s not work, that makes it work on
Let the magic do the work for you

‘Cause something reached out and touched me
Now I know all I want

I want the best of both worlds
And honey I know what it’s worth
If we could have the best of both worlds
We’d have heaven right here on earth, ow

Well, there’s a picture in a gallery
Of a fallen angel looked a lot like you
We forget where we come from sometimes
I had a dream it was really you

Something reached out and touched me
Now I know all I want

I want the best of both worlds
An’ honey I know what it’s worth
If we could have the best of both worlds
A little bit o’ heaven right here on earth, oh

Whoa, you don’t have to die an’ go to heaven
Or hang around to be born again
Just tune in to what this place has got to offer
‘Cause we may never be here again, ow

I want the best of both worlds
An’ honey I know what it’s worth
If we could have the best of both worlds
A little heaven right here on earth, come on

I want the best of both worlds
An’ honey I know what it’s worth
We can have the best of both worlds
A little heaven right here on earth, yeah

Tell me, is it enough?
Now will it ever be enough?

Lyrics composed by: Michael Anthony, Alex Van Halen, Edward Van Halen, Sammy Hagar