"Resist The Powers That Be": Neil Young's New Song "Children of Destiny"
Neil Young + Promise of the Real's new song "Children of Destiny" contains the lyrics: "Resist The Powers That Be".
So just who are these "Powers That Be"? And how does one resist them?
(As previously noted here, the new song's "patriotic" video seems to have really hit a nerve with some -- as we noted on the 4th of July -- managing once again to both polarize his fan base and inflame critics.)
Before attempting to answer these questions, let's back up a bit. Actually let's go way, way back to the immortal song "Powderfinger" by Neil Young, written circa 1976. In the highly enigmatic song, Neil sings:
"Daddy's gone, my brother's out hunting in the mountains
Big John's been drinking since the river took Emmy-Lou
So the Powers That Be left me here to do the thinkin'
And I just turned twenty-two
I was wonderin' what to do
And the closer they got,
The more those feelings grew."
Generally speaking, "The Powers That Be" most often reference Government or to use George Orwell's 1984 term -- "Big Brother". But who really is behind "Big Brother"? (Here's a hint ... from the essential film "Network" (1976), the essential "Boardroom scene".)
So is Neil referencing the same "Powers That Be" in his new song "Children of Destiny" as he was in "Powderfinger"? We'll venture a qualified "Yes and No."
Yes, both the new song "Children of Destiny" and "Powderfinger" are referencing Government SLASH "Big Brother" as "The Powers That Be". Typically, "The Government" is viewed as an extraordinarily powerful monolithic system where resistance is futile. In the context of the narrator of "Powderfinger", it seems that he has been abandoned by his fellow soldiers, i.e., Government, hence he has to do his own thinking. And thinking for oneself is the definition of true freedom.
In Neil Young's new Song "Children of Destiny", he sings the lyrics:
Stand up for what you believe
Resist the powers that be
Preserve the ways of democracy
So the children can be free--
the children of destiny...
Again, judging by the video's images, "The Powers That Be" appear to reference "The Government", particularly the military, similar to "Powderfinger".
One reason that we think that Neil Young's new song seems to be causing so much mis-placed grief is that some seem to be taking this as a direct attack against U.S. President Donald Trump. While Neil Young has been very clear about not supporting Donald Trump, we do not feel this song is targeting President Trump as the power to be resisted, specifically.
We see this as a non-partisan position -- resist all the powers -- Republican, Democratic, Socialist, Communist, Military, police, Authority, etc.
And one can see this position of resisting power as being consistent for Neil Young even going as far back as 1970's song "Ohio" with CSNY and the lines:
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming
Four dead in Ohio."
(More on Four Dead in Ohio and what really happened at Kent State?)
Because, When Neil Young Speaks Truth To Power, The World Listens.
Which brings towards wrapping up on the questions asked above: who are these "Powers That Be"? And how does one resist them?
Just prior to the 2016 election, we wrote Yes, There's Corruption on THE HIGHEST FLOOR (and most of the floors below, too) : Yet More Inconvenient Truth in Greendale . And after the dust settled from the election, we wrote that The Illusion of The Matrix Shatters: Corruption, Fake News & The Big Shift .
'She was welded to the eagle's beak
sun green leaned into that megaphone
and said, "truth is all i seek" '
"Sun Green" by Neil Young
Again, for longtime TW readers, you know that we have been quite alarmed by the accelerating events propelling us well beyond the prophecies laid out by George Orwell's 1984, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
Primers For A Perfect Storm of Techno-Fascism
Today, we have an ever growing clamor by the elite media to reign in "fake news" that would make the crusading anti-Communist Joseph McCarthy quite proud. It is without irony, that nowhere in the establishment is there a concern whatsoever about infringing on our Constitutional rights of free speech and free press.
Officer Carmichael in Greendale
"Fake news" is just the new re-branding of the old "conspiracy theory" psy-op. To know the mockingbird, is to kill the mockingbird.
The Hypocrisy of the Mainstream Media
None other than the establishment Washington Post (owned by Amazon Corp.'s CEO billionaire Jeff Bezos) published an article on "Fake News" that was immediately found to be in fact "fake" because it was sourced from the non-existent entity ProporNot.
Afterall, the esteemed New York Times committed the gravest of journalistic sins when "reporter" Judith Miller falsely reported that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in 2003. This was epic, egregious and massive fake news. What is chaff and what is wheat? Like we say, always use disCERNment.
Open up the tired eyes. Eyes wide shut, we tried to lay it all out very specifically just prior to the election. And then clarified any mis-understandings shortly after the election.
The Devil Comes to Greendale
And to crystallize our point, we made this comment using a quote from the late-great gonzo Hunter S. Thompson. That said, just as Neil Young takes no pleasure in being right yet again, nor do we in speaking truth to power. No one does. We all pray to be proven wrong.
The Truth Can Not Be Censored
And we won't quit, either, because we also wish somebody would share the news. We'll keep on bloggin' till our batteries are dead.
So be aware that the eternal divide and conquer strategy is alive and well. So stay calm, no fear and rock on. We don't want no stinkin' civil wars, thank you.
There's a war on truth. So light that candle. And keep the flame of love burning brightly. So do more than just resist ... Think for Yourself and Question Authority...
Official Music Video by Neil Young + Promise of the Real of "Children of Destiny"
For more on Neil Young + Promise of the Real's new song "Children of Destiny", see:
- NEW Official Music Video: Neil Young + Promise of the Real - "Children of Destiny" (55+ comments)
- Statement by Neil Young + Orchestra Video Version of "Children of Destiny" (35+ comments)
- A Happy 4th of July To All of Our "Children of Destiny": Some Commentary on Neil Young's New Song w/ Forbes Magazine's review by author David Alm (20+ comments)
- Forbes Magazine Responds To Thrasher's Wheat: Review of "Children of Destiny" by Neil Young (10+ comments)
- Comments of the Moment:"Children of Destiny" by Neil Young + Promise of the Real (15+ comments)
- Neil Young's Muse: The Passion, The Pathos & The 4% (10+ comments)
- Comments of the Moment: Statement by Neil Young on "Children of Destiny" (10+ comments)
Labels: analysis, lyrics, neil young, song
by thrasher@PermaLink: 7/13/2017 05:47:00 AM
16 comments
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16 Comments:
I think you are the only person still talking about this song (and whoa buddy, you're taking your "fandom" to a whole 'nother stalker level here).
This site has got very odd over the last couple of years. Very tin foil hat territory. I still appreciate the Neil news it gives though! Each to their own I guess.
As for the new song – it's a noble sentiment wrapped up in a awful song IMO.
To my eyes Thrasher is following Neil's lead … many folks erroneously want to insert their own politics into the mix which is misplaced as Neil is speaking out against something greater than one party or another, i agree his message is more universal … but this is where Neil is at and Thrasher in my view is exploring the depths of it all … not necessarily pleasant topics but Neil is an activist's activist exposing today's ills however unpopular … would rather we were discussing a tour or archives but this is what Neil's putting out right now … nobody ever said being a NY fan was going to meet your expectations … to the contrary … Thrasher is for sure intense and thats part of what makes this site so impressive even when the topic isn't our first (or second) choice … anyhow Neil usually doesn't dwell on things, he'll shift gears before too long
@ joe m - thanks for noticing our passion for CoD.
Recall when we did something similar w/ Greendale? We wrote in 2003:
"The inconvenient truth of Greendale is that regardless of whether you loved it or hated it, it was "the most important album of 2003, the musical equivalent of Silent Spring"."
Is the song CoD another "Be The Rain?"
What we'll say is that: The inconvenient truth of "Children of Destiny" is that regardless of whether you loved it or hated it, it is an important song.
@ Floyd - we can understand what you're thinking. And we know folks take offense when we say wake up, open up the tired eyes. But we think if you're really honest about what you see around you in the world and you think really hard about why so much makes so little sense, then you are on your path to understanding life's "inconvenient truths".
But we also know it's far easier to stay asleep.
We're just sharing our awakening thoughts for anyone who wants to listen. The assumption all along here @ TW was that Neil seems to be a pretty awake guy and his music reflects it. Just about all Neil fans we meet and get to know are pretty awake as well.
Afterall, Neil's been singing about "The Powers That Be" for 40 years in songs like PF.
Are you suggesting that such a widely known and loved song like "Powderfinger" is "tin-foil hat" territory? If so, we have lots of company....
Check comments on
http://www.thrasherswheat.org/2008/09/shelter-me-from-powder-in-finger.html
join us on our journey through the NOW & REAL
peace
@ Dan - thanks. it's all good. glad to have you along on the ride.
oh dear tin foil hat territory is spot on...."fellow soldiers"...the "government" abandoning the narrator of Powderfinger? umm no his daddy's gone & his brother's out hunting in the mountains...Big John is drunk...Emmy Lou is dead...the powers that be are the circumstances he finds himself in....sheesh....not everything is about the damn government....
Who the fuck is "we"????
@ Thrasher
Thanks for the reply. You misunderstand me. I take no offence from your posts and I'm very far from being asleep, but thanks for suggesting I am. I have no problem facing the uncomfortable realities heading our way or the ones already with us. Anyone with more than two brain cells to rub together can see the path we are on is unsustainable for the planet and therefore for ourselves.
My 'tin foil hat' comment was more in reference to the tone of your posts, which make you sound like someone who is up to the eyeballs in conspiracy theories - which in its own way is coping strategy to avoid facing uncomfortable truths. To be frank half the time I have no idea what you are talking about, all this disCERNment stuff. Why muddy the waters with unclear and cryptic statements? You're not going to win people over or wake anyone up in any meaningful way with a stream of conscience babble. We need clear communication of ideas not more white noise.
For me, I'm more interested in solutions than conspiracies. Two books I've read recently (maybe you have too?) offer up some suggestions. Naomi Kleins 'No Is Not Enough' is partly about the rise of Trump but has a wider scope and offers ideas for the future. And the excellent 'Doughnut Economics' by Kate Raworth shows how we could restructure financial systems to value people and planet over profits. Books like these can start real and meaningful conversations. The louder these conversations get the more people hear them and the more likely we get the change we need.
Sorry to bang on, but this is important stuff and I just wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.
Cheers!
thrasher is a COMPLETELY psycho neil young fan. that's really all you need to know. he thinks he "gets" neil in a way that no one else does. the way he uses neil young quotes to respond to people is just creepy. sometimes I wonder if thrasher thinks HE is neil young.
and the whole "we" thing is beyond bizarre. I agree...who the hell is "we"??
@Floyd - Thanks for this. Hopefully no offense taken and congrats on your level of awareness.
We hear you on solutions. Our opinion is that before you get to solutions you have to have awareness. And it's been our opinion that is the primary challenge.
That said, yes, very familiar w/ Naomi Klein and read her "The Shock Doctrine" awhile back. She understands disaster capitalism and sees the racket clearly. Have you ever checked out "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins? Now that is some really awakening stuff. We read Confessions either right before or after Klein's Shock Doc and found them to be companions.
We'd really like to continue this dialogue because you've really tapped into the conundrum we've reached here @ TW. Happy to continue here or take it offline. We can always be reached @ thrasher@thrasherswheat.org
very open to solutions, adjusting our approach and using this platform to communicate.
peace
Frankly I'm a bit disappointed with some of the posts on this. I honor everyones right to differ with Thrashers way of communicating his perspective on the world we're all sharing, but the anger directed toward his approach is more evidence to me that we are more polarized than ever. Anger and hatred are sometimes ways we react to frustrations and the feeling we lack power to make a difference with the issues raised here. We can't look to government to solve our problems. If you study the past sixty years it is clear that governments are only interested in taking care of themselves. Therefore we need to take care of each other in order to change the world we share. By attacking each other we weaken the power we all have to turn things around, and the government sits back and joyfully watches us self destruct.
To quote John Lennon: "There are no problems, only solutions". Anger, hatred, and polarization are not solutions, they simply perpetuate the problem. I'm not suggesting that we can ever all agree, but I am convinced that we can disagree with respect and grace.
Peace to you all.
P.S. The definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome"..... look back through human history and you will find that we humans fit that criteria perfectly.... it's time we look for a different approach because the ones we are using are not working.
@ Dan - Thanks, understood and appreciated.
We extend the same offer as we made to Floyd above ... let's dialogue on this and help us figure out how best to Bridge the disconnect.
As we ponder all of this, we see how the Big Wheel just keeps turning.
Recall if you may, Neil's song "Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World"?
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2008/08/new-song-just-singing-song-wont-change.html
"Just Singing A Song Won't Change The World" is Neil Young's response to a question that was raised at a press conference in 2008: "Can music still change the world"?
The huge worldwide reaction to Neil's response to the question prompted him to issue a highly unusual clarification about what he really meant about what it will take to change the world.
To which we said similarly, "Just Writing a Blog Won't Change The World".
And by the same token, just writing a blog won't change the world either. But the dialogue can ... and will. It's not a clash of civilizations we have here but a clash of ideas.
Lastly, Floyd mentioned our vagueness here. Yes, we can tend to be oblique at times. Again, the quandary. If we're really direct & literal about a lot of this, then the more casual and tired eyes out there get completely lost and take it for just mindless babble or the dreaded "conspiracy". Others who are bit more enlightened, pick up on the little references.
Again, Neil's been singing about this "It's all illusion", TPTB, TRANS stuff for decades but we often encounter blank stares when we try and dig in to determine the real level of understanding.
Anyways, a good conversation to have and we look forward to anyone else who wants to engage on this.
ps - great quote by Lennon. Thanks. Absolutely agree that we can disagree with respect and grace.
Putting "Powderfinger" and this new song in the same sentence only serves as a sad reminder that Neil has lost all sense of artistry, eloquence and drama in his songwriting. On a scale of 0 to 100, he has gone from a 98 down to a big fat 0.
What the hell has happened?
He's surrounded by 'yes' men
This comment has been removed by the author.
If you want to change the world for the better.... Be that change.
peace.
Good advice there Dan. We try.
Once the corruption that we alluded to here @
http://neilyoungnews.thrasherswheat.org/2016/11/yes-theres-corruption-on-highest-floor.html
is exposed to all the humans on EARTH, it will trigger an awakening resulting in the much discussed "Big Shift". This event will be something unlike anything anyone has ever experienced.
Free at last is coming.
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