Keep The Dark Away

Fifty-four years ago, the most famous music festival ever was at Woodstock, USA. It was billed as “three days of peace and love,” and it was a contrast of what was happening in Vietnam at the time.

The promoters estimated 50,000 people would attend, but more than half a million people turned up. The festival was very much anti-war. Everyone there was against the war in Vietnam. News outlets at the time, played down that sentiment and focused on “the nude hippies with long hair”.

Opposition to the Vietnam War became massive, with hundreds of thousands of Americans protesting in the streets. People in other countries also protested.

The scale of protests in countries all around the world about the genocide in Gaza is even greater. Ordinary people know the difference between good and evil whether they are religious or atheist.

Without social media, it was the peace and love message that brought so many people together for Woodstock, and ignited a flame around the world.

The amount of people around the planet sharing their dissent on social media, about the atrocities being committed in Palestine is commendable. Jews who protest against what Israel is doing to the Palestinians, are indeed worthy of great praise, for they are righteous people.

Music is the international language of love.

Music has no racial divisions.

Music unites.

“We all sang the songs of peace. Some came to sing, some came to pray, some came to keep the dark away.”
– Melanie Safka

(chorus:)
Lay down lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the
Ones who stand and frown
Lay down lay down, let it all down
Let your white birds smile up at the
Ones who stand and frown

We were so close, there was no room
We bled inside each others wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace

chorus

So raise the candles high cause if you
Don’t we could stay black against the night
Oh raise them higher again and if you
Do we could stay dry against the rain

chorus

We were so close, there was no room
We bled inside each others wounds
We all had caught the same disease
And we all sang the songs of peace
Some came to sing, some came to pray
Some came to keep the dark away

So raise the candles high
Cause if you don’t we could stay
Black against the sky
Oh oh raise them higher again
And if you do we could stay dry against the rain

chorus