New York City - 9/21/14
Ahead of the People's Climate March, Neil Young shared with Democracy Now! an acoustic solo recording of his new song, "Who's Gonna Stand Up" (previously unreleased).
Listen here.
Democracy Now! will be broadcasting the song during their 3-hour special live broadcast from the march on Sunday, September 21 from 10:30am to 1:30pm ET.
Watch the livestream at democracynow.org.
Who’s Gonna Stand Up
Protect the wild, tomorrow’s child
Protect the land from the greed of man
Take down the dams, stand up to oil
Protect the plants, and renew the soil
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
Who’s gonna say that she’s had enough?
Who’s gonna take on the big machine?
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
This all starts with you and me
Damn the dams, save the rivers
Starve the takers and feed the givers
Build a dream, save the world
We’re the people know as earth
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
Who’s gonna say that she’s had enough?
Who’s gonna take on the big machine?
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
This all starts with you and me
Ban fossil fuel, draw the line
Before we build, one more pipeline
Ban fracking now, save the waters
And build a life, for our sons and daughters
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
Who’s gonna say that she’s had enough?
Who’s gonna take on the big machine?
Who’s gonna stand up and save the earth?
This all starts with you and me
Who’s gonna stand up
Who’s gonna stand up
Who’s gonna stand up
Who’s gonna stand up
Who’s gonna stand up
Reject & Protect Rally - 4/26/14
Washington, DC (Click photo to enlarge)
It's a lovely idea.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a great song, just another clumsy, idealistic, unrealistic political anthem. I'm a little surprised Neil is this simplistic at this age.
I mane, we all wish this were possible. But with no nukes, no oil, no dams , I wouldn't be posting to the Internet here, we'd live in a very different world. The technology isn't there. Wind and sun power can't support they way we live. Not even if we rape the whole landscape building them. We're talking horse and buggy times again.
Love the sentiment, but as usual when translated to song these ideas get so simplistic as to sound kind of dumb.
@Raincheck - it's really past time to move away from 19th & 20th century technologies. Not sure where you get the "horse and buggy times"? Which lyrics specifically advocate that approach.
ReplyDeleteTrust us. The technology is here today to go green.
How about it? Stand up. Don't be a sitter.
Thrasher, I agree it's time to start moving away from 19th and 20th century technnologies. But Neil sings about banning fossil fuels and removing the dams.
ReplyDeleteMoving away gradually versus BANNING the old technologies is my problem. The tech and the installed infrastructure isn't close to being there to move today.
Which, not wanting to to get into a political fight though one is inevitable, gets to my REAL point about SONGS about issues. They simplify.
Graham Nash's surplus of simplistic political songs make Live 1974 less than it could be, and this song is another in that tradition.
I love Neil. I love Neil's music. I love green energy. I rarely enjoy it when these things are combined. I don't like the song much, and I think it oversimplifies a huge issue, which is how do we get from here to there.
Raincheck - We have to disagree about whether the technology exists today to move off fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteGermany is generating almost half of it's non-peak electricity with solar. Likewise, Texas with wind power. And so on.
Not sure where the "banned" thinking comes from? Transition absolutely. It's being done around the world and the good news is the transitions are picking up speed.
Thrasher, it is a transition to be sure, and one that is needed.
ReplyDeleteThe "banned" thinking comes from Neil's lyrics above.
These kinds of songs are just an irrational pet peeve of mine. I'm done now. Thanks.