70 Songs of a Lifetime
Songs and music have been among the most formative experiences of my life. To celebrate this I intend to post 70 songs that have been part of my life journey during the year of my 70th birthday festivities.
Forever Young is a song written by Dylan and sung by Pete Seeger. It captures the wish of every birthday and the passion of my life:
As friends and supporters gather in Sydney for the Mardi Gras I am reminded that as I was being born in 1953 Perry Como was singing: Keep It Gay! Keep It Gay
This song honours the women who have nurtured me over the years and celebrates International Womens Day We Are (Sweet Honey in the Rock)
Each year we celebrate St Patrick's Day I honour the women who staffed St Patrick's Primary School in Geelong West. They taught me a love of community and choral singing and each year we belted out "Hail Glorious St Patrick" with heartfelt passion for a land we never knew
Holy Week in the Christian Calendar has inspired much of the religious and spiritual music I love . Many artists have recorded The Lord's Prayer This version from David Fanshawe's African Sanctus remains one of the most haunting and has been part of my musical collection for many years.Our Father
Gerard Manly Hopkins is one of my favourite English poets.Here is a much loved version of Lead Kindly Light
As a young Church musician I was strongly influenced by the new music coming out of American Catholicism Be Not Afraid
I love Taize music Taize: Misericordias Domini
On Eagles Wings
If You Want Your Dream To Be
Amazing Grace
PETROS GAITANOS – Idou O Nymfios
Christ be Our Light
Stabat Mater
Behold Behold the Wood of the Cross
On The Turning Away
A Russian Resurrection
This song honors my late mother. Monday April 1 would have been Mum's 86th birthday. My love of music was nurtured by both my parents and so today I add my mother's song to the collection I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen The Fureys
One of the classic comedy songs that featured in the early hit parades of the 1960s. As a special treat check out the other tracks when you play this to see the Bee Gees version of the same song My Old Man's a Dustman Lonnie Donegan
In 1963 I turned 10. As well as reaching "double figures" the year stood out for me in so many ways. Three world leaders passed away: Daniel Mannix, Irish Patriot and Archbishop of Melbourne, Pope John XXIII,Church reformer and John Fitzgerald Kennedy.USA President. The music of that year stood out as the Beatles took over our air waves, J'OK belted out great rock music and Bob Dylan's Blowin In The Wind was popularised by Peter Paul and Mary. Song number eight in my "Sixty Series" is the Bee Gees version of Blowin' In The Wind which was screened on Australian TV in 1963
This last week of April includes a public holiday for ANZAC Day. My father was a WWII veteran who fought in Borneo and PNG. He never spoke of the horrors he experienced and never marched ion the ANZAC parade. When he died he requested that we did not have the Rising Sun badge on his headstone which was his right as a returned serviceman.I have always been impressed that in my birth town of Geelong our city gardens memorial to deceased service women and men is called a Peace Memorial. Song number nine in this series is Eric Bogle's classic ".The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
This song was in the charts in 1963 when I was 10 years old. I was entranced from that time on with the harmonies of Peter, Paul and Mary. This is also one of those songs I had in my early guitar playing days. It remains a classic communal song that fires the imagination of children and the child within of adults. I dare you to listen and not sing-a-long: Puff The Magic Dragon
This song celebrates Labour Day and my commitment to unionism.We have had to fight for basic working conditions and dignity in the workplace.The tragic incident in Bangladesh only serves to show the need for unions to protect workers from exploitation.Solidarity Forever Pete Seeger
In 1963 music was rockin all around me but the song that stood out that year when Geelong won the VFL Premiership and stands out today after 7 straight wins in the AFL is the Geelong Football Club theme song
One of the movies from my teen years that has stayed with me is Dr Zhivago with the beautiful Lara's theme,
Bridge Over Troubled Waters is my life anthem. I heard it on my local radio station 3GL in Geelong when I was 19 years old. It captured my heart and vision and has been a source of hope and inspiration for my commitment to community.
I grew up in a "short back and sides" family. The Beatles, the Easybeats, the Stones and all my rock heroes had the sort of hair I longed to wear. Then in 1969 the Cowsills released the theme song of the Rock Opera Hair and I had a song that became one of the anthems of my late teens
I belong to the generation that tuned into The Monkees with their mix of sing-a-long lyrics and comedy. RIP Davy Jones (2012) You were my fave Monkee.
Some of these memories are intentional searches on youtube. Today's song was featured in this morning's screening of Songs of Praise. As well as an interview with one of my peacenik mentors, Bruce Kent the program included a clip and interview with Ralph McTell. The Streets of London was another song from my young adults years that helped to form my values and life choices. Come and sing-a-long to change our world
Each year I acknowledge World Refugee Week. The stories of Refugees and the urgent need to provide a safe haven challenges our global community's political and economic structures. A Refugee is dislocated from home and family. This situation is unbearable when it happens in your own land. Today's song "We Will Go Home" tells of the plight of the Palestinian People with whom I stand in solidarity.
I have carried a 1970 version of Joan Baez's song book with me over the years. Her life and music have been inspiration and challenge so I look forward to seeing her perfomg live for the first time in my life.This week's song is Joan Baez singing the Leonard Cohen classic: Suzanne:
This song from the the move One Night the Moon as Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody sing "This Land".
One of the songs that has inspired my sense of global responsibility is Somos El Barco:We are The boat, we are the sea. I sail in you , you sail in me
In recent weeks I have taken some time off work for an opportunity to reflect, honour friendships and travel. The song that describes much of my spirituality of holidays is Enya's Pilgrim. A wonderful sound from my Celtic origins with lyrics that speak to the soul of life:
From early childhood I have loved and joined choirs. Choral music embraces both classic and contemporary sound which have taken me from great concert halls to local parks. As with many of my generation, Beethoven's 9th was popularized in the text of the Ode to Joy. This version from Osaka is simply glorious. Watch the conductor in full flight.
As we celebrate Seniors Week I think back to the old 33s in my Dad's record collection which included Vera Lynne\s version of When I Grow to Old to Dream. As a Muppets Fan I just love this version with the great Linda Ronstatdt.
In my teens I had a conversion experience that took me to the streets protesting against the Vietnam War. When Redgum released their iconic song I Was Only 19 I knew I had made the right decision to stand against the imperial powers that would take our country to war. Today the Masters of War would have us armed and invading Syria. A new generation needs to hear this song again. Thanks to The Herd we now have a hip hop version that carries the power of the original
Bobby Darin was a great American performers and I have just discovered his version of "Simple Song of Freedom". Many of the songs have gathered for this collection are songs that speak of peace and justice. This song from 1969 speaks to us today as we face the thereat of another USA invasion in the Middle East. In Australia we have just elected a government to whom I am unable to give endorsement or loyalty as a citizen. We need to sing a simple song of freedom:
September 21 is the International Day of Peace. In 1969 John Lennon wrote the anthem, Give Peace a Chance. Popular youth culture had a dream and a language that challenged the war chants of Washington,London and Canberra. As a young man growing up in Geelong I was always struck by the fact that we had a Peace Memorial building to remember the fallen in wars. The call to Give Peace a Chance hasn't diminished in urgency or volume since Lennon first sang it for us
