Music that touches the heart and elevates the soul.

[ConsAreLiars]

Mike Webb played Pink's "Dear Mr President" on tonight's show. (It repeats at at http://stream.mikewebb.org:8001/listen.pls .) It reminded me again of the power of music, and that for most of human history music has helped us become more human. Sure, there are counter-examples of war-and-hate music, but from the shaman-drummers and troubadours of the middle ages and Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," and Guthrie and Seeger and Cash and Lennon and Ochs and so many more and so on, the best music has helped us feel our common humanity.

Who are your favorites who are singing truth today? If you can, post a link to the audio and the lyrics that you find worth sharing.

Here is the link to the video and the lyrics to "Dear Mr President" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eDJ3cuXKV4

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you