Friday, May 13, 2016

Something about that song

Early in the morning, I like everything quiet.  But since I've discovered Amazon Echo, I've found I can choose an Amazon Prime playlist that's "for relaxation" or "for meditation", turn the sound very low, and fully enjoy it.  I go to sleep by these types of list, and it turns out the same music also soothes me in the early morning hours.  Much of the music on those lists is instrumental, but as I sat at the computer this morning, a haunting voice singing some powerful words reached out and grabbed me.  I asked Alexa (because you can do that), "What is this song?"

She answered, "The song is 'God Bless the Grass' by Sara Thomsen."

I immediately built a Prime playlist of songs sung by Sara Thomsen, then hunted up the lyrics to that particular song.    



  Malvina Reynolds: Song Lyrics and Poems  


God Bless the Grass
Notes: words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1964 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1992. People often think of this as an ecology song, but Malvina wrote it after reading Mark Lane’s comments about the John F. Kennedy assassination.

God bless the grass that grows thru the crack.
They roll the concrete over it to try and keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do,
It breaks and it buckles and the grass grows thru,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done.
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that grows through cement.
It's green and it's tender and it's easily bent.
But after a while it lifts up its head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that's gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door,
And God bless the grass.

Wow!  These words made me think of everybody I know who has fought against impossible odds, refusing to quit.  My parents, surviving through the depression.  My daughter, holding down a job while going through chemo and then putting up with all the side effects that cancer leaves behind it, still working at a steady job.  My husband, studying for and then acquiring his GED when he was in his 50's.  


Once in awhile I see a song with words that make me say, "I wish I'd written that!"

This is one of those.  I really like the way Sara Thomsen sings it, but I couldn't find it done by her on Youtube, so here it is by the lady who wrote it in 1964.

3 comments:


  1. I've never heard of this song, but I'm glad you posted the lyrics because they are wonderful.
    A very thoughtful post, Donna.

    ReplyDelete
  2. One of those songs that leaves you thinking about it long after it's finished. Thanks for posting it, Donna.

    XOXO

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