DOES THE OCCUPY / 99 % MOVEMENT STILL NEED A DEFINING SONG?

    
    
    This originally appeared as the # 4 Feature Story in the November 18, 2011 edition of the Acoustic Americana Guide, at
http://acousticamericana.blogspot.com/2011/11/news-features-acoustic-americana-music.html  
    
It is reprinted here as an individual piece, in its entirety.
    
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DOES THE OCCUPY / 99 % MOVEMENT STILL NEED A DEFINING SONG?
    
    It's been one of the points we've made in several features in our series on the participation and influence of artists with the “Occupy” / 99% Movement: It's the only American protest / social change / you-name-it movement in modern history that has no anthem. As we detailed last week, the movement is heavily inclusive of young people who don't know the rich legacy and catalog of songs from the Civil Rights era. And because this movement is so much about text messages and cyber communication, the movement conspicuously lacks an orientation toward songs sung by groups.
    
    We keep expecting to hear or receive a new one, written by a songwriter among the occupiers. We keep expecting a song to go mega-viral on the web, but it still hasn't happened. Neither has a song by any of the more prominent recording artists become the movement's anthem, though several are out there (we tell you about two in the preceding piece.)
    
    Of course, an old Dylan song, or a Joan Baez song, or a hundred-year-old labor organizing song, or a hundred-and-fifty-year-old song from slaves yearning for freedom could just as easily make a comeback. Or it might be one by someone else.
    
    Then we had one of those Homer Simpson “D'oh” moments. We might have had the song all along.
    
    The following song lyrics were published here in the Guide, just before the Occupy Movement began. They were included in Ross Altman's obituary for the man who wrote the song, the late, and always very formidable songwriter, Ken Graydon.
    
    We commend it to you and believe Thanksgiving makes it especially appropriate.
    
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“It’s Time To Start Singing Again,” by Ken Graydon
    
He wrote songs in the sixties that prodded the conscience of the nation
And the words that he chose to use mirrored our own indignation
And some called him Bobby and some called him Phil
Or Richard or Johnny or Len
Now the voices have changed but the message sounds clear
It’s time to start singing again.
    
(Chorus)
So give me your words. Tell me what’s on your mind
Show me what needs to be shown
Come raise up your voices and pour out your song
Let me know I’m not singing alone.
    
From Selma to Birmingham, Chicago, New York and Seattle
He sang us the news and the hopes and the fears of the battle
‘Till it blew in the wind and it hammered and rang
And the whole land was singing and then
It shimmered and echoed and faded away
Now it’s time to start singing again
Now the years have gone ‘round and the circle’s come full in its turning
And it’s time to be heard while liberty’s torch is still burning
    
For there’s power in music that can’t be denied
And it comes ‘round again and again
But no one can listen if nobody sings
So come and start singing again.
    
(Transcribed from Ken’s website, www.kengraydon.com, by Ross Altman, for the obituary he wrote about Ken, just before the Occupy movement began.)  
    
    
    
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