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Writer's pictureVincent Walter Jacob

Buffalo, Laguna woods, Uvalde... Tonight, I turn to music

Over the last three weeks, a series of tragic events have rattled the country. Black people targeted by a white supremacist in Buffalo, an Asian community here in southern California, and now children and their teacher in Texas. These are 3 of the 212 mass shootings that have happened in our country so far this year. Like many, I can’t find the words tonight. But I won’t need no word tonight, because…


When the course of deadly events is silencing my mouth, I turn to music.

When the weight of the world is heavier than my soul, I turn to music

When the concept of peace is torn apart so that the very idea of the future gets blurry;

I turn to music.


When the hope is gone and the waves of laughter have vanished

Only true poets will find their way

And bring me the only food my soul can receive:

A mere consolation of words and melodies


In anger and pain, frustration and sadness

I close my eyes

And I turn to music


Tonight these are some of the songs I turn to:


« Such a bad way to live (Such a bad way to live)

Oh, who is to blame? (Who is to blame?)

We can't stop living (When we can't stop living)

(Ohhh!) Live, (Live)

(Live for life) Live for life

(But let live everybody)

Live life for the children (Live life for the children!)

(Oh, for the Children!)

You see, let's...let's save the children

Let's...let's save all the children

(Save the babies! Save the babies!) »

- Marvin Gaye - Save the children


« There's something happening here

But what it is ain't exactly clear

There's a man with a gun over there

Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop

Children, what's that sound? »

- Buffalo Springfield - For what it’s worth


« Come gather 'round people

Wherever you roam

And admit that the waters

Around you have grown

And accept it that soon

You'll be drenched to the bone

If your time to you is worth savin'

And you better start swimmin'

Or you'll sink like a stone

For the times they are a-changin’ »

- Bob Dylan - The times they are a-changin’


« Who's in a bunker? Who's in a bunker?

I have seen too much

I haven't seen enough, you haven't seen it

I'll laugh until my head comes off

Women and children first

And children first, and children »

- Radiohead - Idioteque


« Mother, mother

There's too many of you crying

Brother, brother, brother

There's far too many of you dying

You know we've got to find a way

To bring some lovin' here today, yeah

Father, father

We don't need to escalate

You see, war is not the answer

For only love can conquer hate

You know we've got to find a way

To bring some lovin' here today » - Marvin Gaye - What’s going on?


« Goodbye Michelle, my little one

You gave me love and helped me find the sun

And every time that I was down

You would always come around

And get my feet back on the ground

Goodbye Michelle, it's hard to die

When all the birds are singing in the sky

Now that the spring is in the air

With the flowers everywhere

I wish that we could both be there

We had joy, we had fun

We had seasons in the sun

But the stars we could reach

Were just starfish on the beach »

- Nirvana (Jacques Brel / Rod Mckuen) - Seasons in the Sun

« It's been too hard living

But I'm afraid to die

'Cause I don't know what's up there

Beyond the sky

It's been a long

A long time coming

But I know a change gonna come

Oh, yes it will »

- Sam Cooke - A change is gonna come


« Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world »

- John Lennon - Imagine




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