An Inauguration song - Didn't know I was UnAmerican - Now I need a hug! :(

[helderheid]

http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican/

Click "see movie" - powerful flash. Wiping tears. :cry: :grouphug: :cry:

[Bullwinkle925]

1. Thank you for sharing that link......thoroughly enjoyed it.

[helderheid]

2. you're welcome.

We gotta stick together! :hug:

[Pam-Moby]

3. that was great. thanks for the link n/t

[Catamount]

4. Group hug for us all

and a box of tissues!
Thanks;)

[Sydnie]

5. That was beautiful!

Thanks for sharing that with all of us. I wish it was a bit slower because it's hard to read it all through tears. :cry: ing too!

[helderheid]

12. I know what you mean - I was sobbing!

[livvy]

6. Very neat song! Thanks for posting.

I'll be sure to pass it along!:-)

[il_lilac]

7. thank you!

:grouphug:
I feel much better now.

[cindyw]

8. That was great. nt

[Greybnk48]

9. Wish we could run that on T.V.

Couldn't say it better any other way. "It" meaning everything.

[Democrat Dragon]

10. I saw that before the "election"

But when I saw it on Nov.3rd, I was crying, because it mentioned many of the things were are going to loose in the next four years.

[helderheid]

11. It's just nice to know

we're not alone and in this together - and no one can truthfully call us unpatriotic! I too wish we could get that on the air.

[GettysbergII]

13. It would be really cool to have a "didn't know I was UnAmerican'

rally in cities and towns all over American and videotape the attendees singing the song as a choir at each rally and then have them all mixed together and put them on the internet and then see if the result would motivate yet more '"didn't know I was unAmerican" rallys to add their voices to the choirs. And so on and so forth like one of those human waves that goes around stadiums except in this case the wave would go all around the country growing larger with each revolution. I think it could be a very joyful, powerful and unifying activity and it would scare the living bejesus out of Karl Rove. And it would certainly fulfill a great need I think we all have right now to testify about what's going on.

And everyone could participate together even though we might not all agree on all the issues

[helderheid]

14. THAT brought tears to my eyes!

I love it!!! The only problem is I would be too choked up to sing! :)

Thanks for this vision!

[helderheid]

15. the lyrics - though it's much more powerful via flash

The Words <<
v.1
Didn't know I was unamerican
For choosing to give a damn
Or unpatriotic
For daring to take a stand
For what I believe in
Looks like freedom to me -
Expressions of liberty
Wanting our America to be
A responsible hegemony

v.2
Didn't know I was a communist
For wanting to share the wealth
It doesn't take an economist
To measure the cost of health
And what I believe in
Looks like heaven to me -
One human family
Where everybody's got enough to eat
And something warm to cover their feet

v.3
Didn't know I'd be labeled a terrorist
For daring to speak my mind
It's becoming more precarious
For failing to toe the line
And what I believe in
Sounds like freedom to me -
Like the Sons of Liberty
In 1773
Dumping 45 tonnes of tea

v.4
Didn't know I was in the minority
Of people who love the Earth
I hope it becomes a priority
Before it gets any worse
And what I believe In
Looks like heaven to me -
Where angels take the shape of the trees
Giving us clean air to breathe
From the rivers to the mountains and seas...

v.5
DIdn't know I hated my country
For acknowledging the Truth
This war is despicable profiteering
At the expense of our youth
And what I believe In
Looks like heaven to me -
All of humanity
Living as community
In relative harmony

I know it's just a song
But if the whole world sang along
How much longer would it be this way?




This work is ©2004 Ian Rhett and licensed
under a Creative Commons License.

[GettysbergII]

16. I just emailed Ian Rhett with the suggestion

of holding "didn't know I was UnAmerican" rallies and volunteering to help organize the Chicago rally. While I was there I bought a six pack of CDs of the song.

[helderheid]

19. Great!!

What a wonderful idea! I'll organize for Salt Lake City - that is such a wonderful idea. Hundreth monkey, here we come!

[Sydnie]

24. Good on you GettysbergII!!

I love that idea! Make sure you let us know if Ian likes it, ok?

[GettysbergII]

28. You bet I will!

SEnt an email about it to True Majority since there is a link at the song's website to True majority

[bleever]

17. Thanks helderheid. Everyone should see this. And feel good.

:grouphug:

[helderheid]

20. watch it all day tomorrow!

:grouphug:

[meganmonkey]

18. This is so good!

[helderheid]

21. Keep sharing it and please

keep commenting here :) We need this tomorrow. Come together and remember WE love this country and WE are the patriots.

[AlwaysDemocrat]

22. Wonderful song and images (n/t)

[fooj]

23. An affirmation to remain united in principles...

I watched it twice! NGU!

[helderheid]

25. LOL!

ME TOO!

Hey, I know this is self pimping but perhaps this should be nominated??

[helderheid]

26. I am going to bed!

i pray tomorrow i see this still on the "front" page because I will need it (and I know every DUer should be singing along)

XOXOXO

[GettysbergII]

27. Sweet deams, helderheid

Will be singing loud and clear tomorrow

[helderheid]

29. Wakey wakey

Time to sing! Remember we are the majority!

[helderheid]

30. I know it takes 6 minutes to watch

but it's worth it

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

31. A belated huggie helderheld, and needing one now too.

Today is startling sunny outside, albeit freezing, and I feel that ice permeating through me in great unhappiness and fear for my kids future......

[helderheid]

32. Thank you so much

I can only hope we can change our election system in time to change things in 2006. :hug:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

33. Thank you!!! And so do I!!!!

:hug:

[ianrhett]

34. Wow! Thanks, everyone!

Y'know, I get lots of email, most of it's pretty moving, and there's definitely a few that get my blood boiling and challenge my capacity for being compassionate and letting others have their beliefs - even when those beliefs would have me run out of the country.

But I have to say, this thread has been particularly moving. Thanks Gettysburg, for the order - it'll be going out tonight. I really, really appreciate that.

And I LOVE the idea of rallies. Here's the thing:

I've wanted all my life to be a songwriter, and for almost 30 years, I could never finish a song. It wasn't until this year that I wrote my first songs, including "Unamerican" and about a dozen other songs. "Unamerican" was/is my only studio recording. A month after my first ever public performance in June, I was invited to the DNC, where I closed the Kucinich Presidential campaign. Since then, I've played at the Florida election returns party in Ft. Lauderdale, Bioneers, Dept. of Peace functions and elsewhere.

This music thing is a dream come true, and the fact that a million people have heard my song is testament to me that I'm fulfilling my purpose on the planet - to make music that opens hearts and minds. I'm a man on a mission, no doubt.

At the same time, I've never done this before. I LOVE your vision, Gettysburg, but have NO idea how to make it so. I DO know how to get me and my piano across the country. I DO know how to connect with an audience. And, to be honest, I know a fair bit about event production, too.

But putting on something of that magnitude seems a substantial undertaking, one which I'm not prepared to handle, personally. I'm still working on writing songs, getting a full-length record together (Gettys, the EP you bought has, literally, my first four recordings), getting another Flash video out there, etc..

I guess I'm saying that I'm flattered beyond words at the support you guys are offering.

One thing I'm certain of - we're not going to change the world by ourselves. It's only when we come together and share our voices, talents and resources that things really start to happen.

Thanks again, y'all.

ian

[GettysbergII]

35. First, thanks for the music, Ian!

"I didn't know I was unAmerican" has got to be one of the most moving songs I've ever heard. It hard to listen to without my eyes misting up with a combination of joy, pride and something akin to woe or grief. It speaks to the times just as clearly as the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' must have done in its day. I really believe this could be a song a movement could rally around.

I certainly understand that this would be an enormous undertaking for you to handle as a traditional project. And I totally agree with you that a top down approach would be inappropriate for who 'we' are, which is a very diverse thinking, horizontal, bottom up community. So I was thinking that once we started a couple "I didn't know I was UnAmerican" choirs locally if the result had any merit the rest would just sort of rise up to you organically from the people much as it did with the Dean campaign Meet-Ups or in this case more like the Dean campaign Meet-Ups meet the Do-It-Yourself-Messiah. So I think certainly at first all you'd have to do is allow us to try to create an experimental choir or two in say Chicago and/or Salt Lake City and we could send you the rough edit of it afterward to get your approval and guidance or perhaps your insistance that we pull the plug on the project immediately for the betterment of everyone ;).

And if the project never got beyond that point I'd be happy (as long as I got a chance to sing in the choir, even if they had me stand in the back row and made me promise to 'sing very, very quietly'). So if you'd permit it, we (my wife/fellow 'dissident' and I) would like to see if we can stir up any enthusiasm for the project in Chicago. She'll talk tomorrow to a community friend that owns a music center called World Folk Music. And while as you might have gathered I can't sing a lick I am a Chicago public school teacher and many of my colleagues cut their eye teeth in sundry Gospel choirs. Then Saturday we're already going to an all day inservice on using creativity in grassroots organizing delivered by the Creative America Project (http://www.creativeamerica.us/) so we might as well see what they think of it as well. I'm sure our local organization, Southsiders for Peace, will love the idea and we'll talk to them at the Tuesday meeting. Then we could check with a bunch of fellow policos we met downtown at Columbia College last Sunday at a grassroots organizing forum that Joe Trippi was the keynote speaker at. I think in a week or so we'd know which way the wind was blowing.

So whatdaya say, Ian? Can my wife and I have a go at trying to get this off the ground in Chicago?

I think its really amazing that these songs finally started coming to you this year. Kinda makes a person believe in kismet, does it not? Thanks again for the music, Ian.

[helderheid]

36. Welcome to DU Ian!

And thank you so much for writing a song that captures who we are and what we feel so precisely. I was so moved when I saw this I sent the link far and wide as well as posted the flash on out local progressive caucus site (www.udpc.org/videos/) - it got so much traffic we exceeded our bandwidth and we had to shovel out more cash to support the traffic!

I like the idea of a MeetUp - Unamerican Meetup perhaps? Have us contact our local progressive groups for support?

Finally, I would like to personally invite you to Salt Lake City on Sept 11 (unless we can get you on stage in New York that day!!) for the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus Freedom Fair. We held our first one last year. Here's a little about that:

The UDPC would like to thank all of you who participated in our first 9/11 Freedom Fair! A special thanks to our Special Guest Speaker - the renowned actress, author and activist, Mimi Kennedy and Tom English for making a special effort to join us in the only major observance of 9/11 in our state advocating peace over war and the only event to recognize the role fire fighters played on that fateful day.

UDPC's Freedom Fair in the news!

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595090546,00.html

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595090777,00.html

http://sltrib.com/ci_2411777

Had to ask!

God bless you Ian! I will be ordering my copies from you soon so we can get this ball rolling!

[GettysbergII]

37. Hi Helderheid, couldn't get the video link to work

(www.udpc.org/videos/ doesn't work

[helderheid]

42. sorry!

Here's the good link - too excited meeting Ian! Hehehe

http://www.udpc.org/videos.htm

[ianrhett]

47. Progressives in Utah?!

That's kind of an inside joke - there's a dairy here in the Bay Area called "Berkeley Farms" and their tagline is "Farms? In Berekeley?" and then a cow Moos... LOL

Actually, I met Dave Randall in Florida, who's as progressive as they come, I suppose, and he's definitely from Utah (though he sure seems to be travelling quite a bit). Geez, if ever there was a man on a mission, too...

I'd love to come to Salt Lake. I'd love to be onstage in Manhattan on 9/11, too. Y'know, the flash video to the Unamerican song was released on 9/12 (the audio-only version was released on July 4). Funny how things work out. After my first public performance in June, I realized I had to record the song, and the earliest I could book the only studio I knew of was July 2. So I recorded Unamerican in a few hours, and had it online for the Fourth.

Similar story with the video's release. It was actually ready on the 11th, but I thought the day after was more appropriate.

Thanks for the invitation! I'm psyched to see what happens!

[ClassWarrior]

57. The United for Peace and Justice National Congress is in St. Louis...

...at the end of February. I should ask the connected folks I know if they have a spot for you, Ian. "unAmerican" is truly an inspirational song.

NGU.

[newyawker99]

89. Hi ianrhett!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[seito]

38. Just Wonderful - Must See Video

Thanks :hug:

[lonestarnot]

39. Powerfully excellent! Signed

[pstans]

40. I know that its just a song

But it put into words everything that I have been thinking since November 2nd. I shared the song with some friends online and emailed to all of my friends and family that I think voted for Kerry.

If a "Didn't know I was UnAmerican" rally is organized I would definitly help getting one going in Central Iowa. I am going to go post this on the DFA Meetups that I belong to.

Thanks for the song, standing up for Demoractic values, and welcome to DU.

[pstans]

41. Get the song on MTV/VH1/CMT

It would be awesome if we could get the song on MTV, VH1, or CMT. I know that you can nominate songs on MTV's TRL, but I am not sure if there is enough of us to overcome the Britney crap on the show.

The song should get sent to Air America Radio and maybe Al Franken, Randi Rhodes and everyone can play it.

Sent it to Keith Olberman and he could play it as the back up during the top sound bites part of his show.

Send it to Jon Stewart on the Daily Show and they could play it at the end of the show (or even have the song played live on the show!).

[helderheid]

43. Great ideas!!

Also get to COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS!!!!

[helderheid]

44. Oh and of course

www.freespeechtv.org (I wrote them months ago about it) and www.linktv.org

[GettysbergII]

45. Nice links! Me like! (nt)

[zalinda]

71. Mike Malloy of AAR

is the best one to send it to.........he's always playing great music and loves to get tapes or links for the political stuff.

zalinda

[helderheid]

72. does he have rules on that?

Such as needing a release?

[zalinda]

73. I have no idea, but

he has asked some songwriters to send tapes to him. He is very net savvy and I think is friends with the BuzzFlash guy. All you'd have to do is send him the link to the video. He's also friends with the white rose guy www.whiterosesociety.org/ Either or both may like the flash video on their site. Just send the links and they can get in touch with Ian if they like what they see.

zalinda

[ClassWarrior]

75. That'd be benburch...

Ben Burch of www.whiterosesociety.org. He's a good guy.

If you have it handy, Clarity, send it to him and ask him if he can pass it on to Malloy.

NGU.

[helderheid]

76. thanks!

Would sending the link be enough? The contact on that site goes to the webmaster - same person? Thanks so much!

[helderheid]

80. what I sent

Date: 01/23/05 22:10:49
To: [e-mail]
Cc: ian rhett
Subject: music for Mike Malloy show


Hi!

I understand you're someone I should talk to about presenting music to the
Mike Malloy show.

I have been in contact with Ian Rhett both directly and indirectly via the
Democratic Underground
(please see this thread:)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard
php?az=show_mesg&forum=203&topic_id=292954&mesg_id=292954

He has a song that consistently gets the same reaction of overwhelming joy,
love, and patriotism. It's called (Didn't Know I Was) UnAmerican. You really
need to see the flash video to get the full impact, but the song itself
should be the theme song for all Progressives fighting for our country.

To see the video, go here:

http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican/

and click on "Launch Video"

I have the MP3 I can send you but I'll wait to hear back from you. Please,
if you can, present this to the Mike Malloy show. Ian Rhett's email is in
the CC of this message in case you wish to contact him directly.

Thanks for all you do - I depend on your archives!!

Clarity
http://udpc.org

[ClassWarrior]

81. That's great Clarity. I think Ben's the webmaster, but...

...if he isn't, send a PM to benburch here.

NGU.

[helderheid]

82. thanks - would you mind doing that?

I'm off to bed! :) NGU!

[helderheid]

85. did you do it?

[ianrhett]

46. Holy Smokes...

these are all such great ideas. I give you all my permission to do whatever you want/can do to get this song out there as widely as possible. I love the choir idea, and I'll do my best to bring my piano out and perform at events. I'll crash on couches and bring my own food, but I'll probly need help with airfare. Otherwise, I'm game. See, I'm a man with a mission. I'm not taking this newfound gift lightly. It definitely comes with a mandate.

I'm really moved that there are people who feel as strongly about this song as I do. I only have so many hours in a day, and honestly don't have time to follow up on so many great ideas, so anything you can do to help spread the word - many bonus points in heaven. :)

BTW, Here're the lyrics to a new song. Haven't recorded it yet, but goes like this (you haven't heard the music, but THIS is DEFINITELY a song for a big gospel choir! I'm so psyched, I can't wait to figure out how to make this happen - I really believe this is going to be a big one, too...)

LET PEACE ON EARTH FINALLY COME (c) 2005 ian rhett - www.ianrhett.com
Let peace on earth
Finally come
So we can bring our sons and our daughters
Home where they belong
And we'll make up for our mistakes
And we'll take the credit where the credit is due
Sign me up, how bout you?

CHORUS A
Well there's a lot of talk of making peace
But I have to admit I don't understand
How we expect anyone to believe
When we're standing at the door with a gun in our hand

Let peace on earth
Start with me
If we are all indeed connected
That's how it's gotta be
And we'll grow the web
One open heart at a time, it's true
Sign me up, how bout you?

CHORUS A
Well there's a lot of talk of making peace
But I have to admit I don't understand
How we expect anyone to believe
When we're standing at the door with a gun in our hand

Let peace on earth
Finally come
And spread it's warmth all over the world
Like the rising sun
And we'll show the way
But at the end of the day, what else it there to do?
Sign me up - how bout you?

CHORUS B
Well it's time stop planning for peace
And instead start practicing what we preach
And be change we want to see
And start forgiving, and living, in love again

[helderheid]

48. beautiful

gave me chills! I can only imagine the video that will accompany that. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!!

By the way, who did your video? The images were so perfect for your song.

And with that, I will post this and kick this thread to the top!

Clarity

[helderheid]

49. Ian! I may need to have you do this!

I'm trying to get your song on Randi Rhodes show but they have specific instructions for submitting music. I am going to submit your song, but you may need to do this yourself since it IS your song.

Here are the instructions:
http://forums.airamericaradio.com/randirhodes/contact_submit.php

SUBMITTING MUSIC

If you would like to submit a music CD for play on The Randi Rhodes Show; you may do so if you do the following:

(NOTE: submissions sent by mail will be thrown away).

Send and sign a release saying we may play your music on the show
Send your submission via e-mail to Silent Jay ([e-mail]) ‘SHOW SUBMISSION’ in the subject line, or via mail to:
The Randi Rhodes Show
c/oSilent Jay
3 Park Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016

Thanks,

Silent Jay

[d.l.Green]

78. And then make sure you let us all know when it's on so we can kick it! n/t

[helderheid]

79. YES

let us know Ian! :)

Oh, and I missed your other post! In a State this red, the blue's tend to look very green so yeah - some liberals here :) The UDPC has about 250 members. I think the Green Party here has about 40. Then there are those who don't know about us yet but would love us. :)

[ianrhett]

87. Thank you SOOOOoo much!

This is awesome. I printed out the release, stuffed an envelope with a CD and put it in the mail. Fingers crossed! Here's what I wrote 'em:


Hi Jay -

A year ago, I'd never written a song, nor sung in public. Despite playing the piano since I was 8, I'd never been able to actually write a song. On January 1, I had a huge breakthrough and wrote a dozen. The first recording, "(Didn't Know I Was) Unamerican" was released on July 4, and has since been heard by roughly a million people.

A month after my first-ever public performance in June, I was invited to the Democratic National Convention, where I closed the Kucinich presidential campaign gala. I was flown to Florida for the election and performed at a number of events there and was the only entertainer for the Florida Kerry Campaign's event in Ft. Lauderdale.

It has been played on radio (I've been told WBAI has played it, and stations in Illinois, Virginia and California as well) and it has been something of an internet phenomenon, with people passing the flash video (http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican/) to their friends.

I'm enclosing a copy of my first-ever CD and invite you to play the song on the show. I'm available for interviews, as well, if you think your listeners would be interested in the story of someone who's found their voice (literally and metaphorically) after nearly 30 years of trying.

Below's the release, signed.

Thanks for listening, Jay.

./ian


http://www.ianrhett.com <= artist site
http://www.sharedvoice.org/unamerican <= flash video

[ianrhett]

88. Clarity - THANK YOU!

I just want to give a big thanks to you for pushing this song out and being a bit of a media activist. Sending me a link to the submission page is really great, and it's even better when you can do it yourself. Just getting started in all this music business, and it's daunting how much there is to do, and I'm just me. I really appreciate you and Gettysburg taking extra steps to get this song out there.

./i

[GettysbergII]

56. Can't wait to hear a recording of it, Ian.

For some reason the lyrics make me think of the Dalai Lama. Been reading a scientific dialogue with the Dalai Lama called Destructive Emotions: How We Can Overcome Them and he takes that tack of gaining control of your own mind first, and then helping the world will come as a result. Good advice to remember as its all too easy to lapse into the abyss reacting to the horror Bush & Co is inflicting on our nation and the world. That's all the more reason why we need songs and actions that while they acknowledge the hurtfulness thats going on, also bring us together, uplift us and rehumanize us rather than drag us down into the muck and dehumanize us.

If you are willing to honor us by coming to Chicago for our "Didn't Know I was UnAmerican" choir I have no doubt we could find funding for all the expenses without a problem. Heck we'd love to have you stay with us if you're ever just passing through town.

Can't wait to get the CDs so I can expose folk I encounter in the un-connected world to your music.

[seito]

50. Kick

:kick:

[pstans]

51. Kick

:kick:

[helderheid]

52. thanks!

[ClassWarrior]

53. This song/video is AWESOME...

:kick:

NGU.

[lonestarnot]

54. Hug

:pals:

[helderheid]

55. Group hug!

:grouphug:

[pstans]

58. Kicking one more time for the weekend viewers of DU

:kick:

:yourock:

[ClassWarrior]

59. .

[ClassWarrior]

60. .

[ClassWarrior]

77. .

[ClassWarrior]

84. .

[genieroze]

61. Thanks for the tear jerker, God I hate when that happens, my kids look at

me and wonder what's her problem. lol

[helderheid]

62. LOL

My kids do the same thing! :)

[ClassWarrior]

63. Progressives - bunch of loveable softies.

NGU.

[helderheid]

64. Well damnit

It's about time we had the words, song, power to say, YOU CANNOT CALL ME UNPATRIOTIC ONE MOMENT MORE. I love my country, I love humanity, and I want my kids to know the same love - and peace - we all deserve! BIG ASS KICK.

[ClassWarrior]

65. I couldn't agree more, Clarity.

I'm laughing because a big lunk like me gets teary-eyed watching this thing. <LOL>

NGU.

[seito]

66. One more time

:grouphug: :kick:

[helderheid]

67. awww

That made me smile! Hehehe :) Ya big lunk! <hands you a tissue>

[lavenderdiva]

68. I just saw this for the first time today, and it made me cry...

I was so moved, and I am wondering how many other DU'ers haven't caught up to this thread yet? Did this actually get nominated for front page yet? Am I allowed to nominate it for a second time, if it has already been there? I just think everyone should see this... It was wonderful!!! :bounce:

I'm going to try to nominate it, and if I get my hand slapped, so be it.

[ClassWarrior]

69. Good idea. Me too.

NGU.

[GettysbergII]

70. I wonder if Chili would be willing/able to host the DKIWU choirs

once we got them rolling and processed? I couldn't think of a more fitting website to host them. What do you think?

[SmokingJacket]

74. Thanks for posting this.

I saw it before the election but I needed to see it again.

It's such a positive message -- sometimes the administration gets me so angry I feel unpatriotic and bitter. But that's just a bad reaction.

This song reminds me that I DO love this country, and that we Democrats and Greens are true patriots. Thank you.

[ianrhett]

86. Like you said, "Thanks for posting"

I'll tell you, it's posts like that that really get me. This sentiment really touches on why I wrote this song, and what I hope comes out of it. I want to revitalize patriotism in a way that cuts to the core of what America stands for. I think the Left has been ashamed of being American for too long (to some extent for good reason, and to some extent for failing to acknowledge what really DOES make this country great), and it's time for us to reclaim "The Power of Pride".

Actually, let's co-opt it, then share it.

i

[LeahD]

83. I like