Holly is a story teller, a dramatic singer. When I listen to her work, I see theater. There is the big dance number, the novelty song, and the quiet moment with one actor left on stage, intimate and heart breaking. The melodies stick and the audience goes out humming after the show. Then add her critical thinking, her passion for social change and activism. And the music becomes the soundtrack for a movement. Being called a folk singer is an honor, to be sure. And yet, it would be an incomplete description of this artist. Let the play begin. — Timothy Near, Artistic Director San Jose Repertory Theater
Holly Near sings her own work as well as songs by Jackson Browne, Jane Siberry, Laura Love, Cheryl Wheeler, Eric Schwartz, Michael Butler, and Amy Carol Webb. "I Am Willing" is a powerful hymn of hope and tradition. "Somebody's Jail", a heart-breaking reflection on the condition of women in the world. "I Want You Gone"—well, guess who that is about? "Lives In The Balance" moves into the Middle East on the wings of George Lammam's haunting violin solo. And yes, there is laughter. "Hattie and Mattie" celebrates two elder women who fell in love long before there was a word for it. "Family Band", a light-hearted song about creating new family if the one we got aint working. Enjoy!
CREDITS
Produced by Holly Near
Engineered by Gary Mankin
Production coordinated by Alison de Grassi
Photographs by Donna Korones (front and back) and Pat Hunt (inside, collage, booklet)
Graphic design by Jill Davey and Nicole Vasgerdsian, JPD Communications
Recorded at Mesa Recording, Fantasy Studios and Knob & Tube
Mixed at Knob & Tube Mastered by Paul Stubblebine Mastering
THE PLAYERS
Holly Near – Vocals except where noted
John Bucchino – Keyboards
Jan Martinelli – Bass
Nina Gerber – Guitars
Paul van Wageningen – Drums
Georges Lammam – Kaman (Arabic violin)
Susu Pampanin – Darabouka
Jackeline Rago – Percussion
Robin Flower – Mandolin
Libby McLaren – Accordion and support vocals
Linda Tillery, Nicolas Bearde, Rhonda Benin – support vocals
Family Band
Somebody's Jail
Gandhi/Buddha
I Am Willing
I Want You Gone Too
Lives In The Balance
Bound By The Beauty
Hattie and Mattie
Show Up
It's About Time
Drunken Sailor
This Is Peace
Oh River
The lyrics below are the songs that Holly either wrote or co-wrote only. Lyrics written by others, which appear on the CD, are not listed for copyright reasons. Click the name of the song to open the lyrics.
Words: Holly Near, Music: Holly Near and Michael Butler / © Hereford Music
When life gets busy and I can’t slow down
I get lost more than I get found
Taking the floor, taking a stand
And dance to the family band
Everybody trying to find themselves
Wallflowers tumbling off the shelves
How do I feel, where do I stand
Will I dance to the family band
I was well loved and I was well taught
Still it didn’t turn out the way I thought
Out of the sea, living on land
Slipping out of the family hand
Falling apart, falling in place
Telling lies and saving face
Looking for right and finding it's wrong
Where do I belong
Good thing the world is bigger than me
Way beyond my own genealogy
Family can’t always be enough
They be drowning in their own stuff
What if family is a tree that bends
Living off lovin' that never ends
Holding out for a loving hand
Can we dance to the big time band
Ain’t nothing wrong with the mom and pop
But the pushing and shoving has got to stop
Ain’t nothing wrong with a personal god
But save the child and spare the rod
Good thing the world is bigger than me
Way beyond my own family tree
Nations can’t always be enough
They be drowing in their own stuff
Ain’t nothing wrong with a personal savior
'Cept when it leads to bad behavior
If you send in your spies and you're trying to bust us
We're gonna rise up for love and justice
Gonna dance, dance, dance to the family band
Words and music by Holly Near / © Hereford Music
Stepping out of the line of fire when people are rude
Cheap stuff made in China, someone calls it a sale
Somebody's mama, somebody's daughter
Somebody's jail
Beat down in the market, stoned to death in the plaza
Raped on the hillside under the gun from LA to Gaza
A house made of cardboard living close to the rail
Somebody's mama, somebody's daughter
Somebody's jail
And I feel the witch in my veins
I feel the mother in my shoe
I feel the scream in my soul
The blood as I sing the ancient blue
They burned in the millions
I still smell the fire in my grandma's hair
The war against women rages on
Beware of the fairytale
Somebody's mama, somebody's daughter
Somebody's jail
The noise of elections, the promise of change
A grabbing of power at the top, a day at the rifle range
Somebody's in danger, somebody's for sale
Somebody's mama, somebody's daughter
Somebody's jail
It's not on a map
The weight of the world on somebody's back
It's the clothes that I wear, it's the food that I eat
It's the women and the children living out on the street
It's the war at the border, the refugee camp
It's the child bride doomed to walk the ramp
It's the boot in the stomach, the slap in the face
It's the death that is handed out simply by race
Rape by the soldiers, abduction of sons
It's nuclear threat, the fascination with guns
Looks at the office, the danger at night
The one you call darling coming home for a fight
It's the AIDS with no borders, it's the African teen
It's the women all over simply going unseen
It's the arrogant posture, the man on the moon
It's the dying of need before the promise of soon
It's the millions who go without food and water
It's somebody's mother, somebody's daughter
Holly Near )/ © Hereford Music
I am open and I am willing
To be hopeless would seem so strange
It dishonors those who go before us
So lift me up to the light of change
There is hurting in my family
There is sorrow in my town
There is panic in the nation
There is wailing the whole world round
May the children see more clearly
May the elders be more wise
May the winds of change caress us
Even though it burns our eyes
Give me a mighty oak to hold my confusion
Give me a desert to hold my fears
Give me a sunset to hold my wonder
Give me an ocean to hold my tears
Original words and music by Laura Love; New words by Holly Near / © Laura Love Publishing A/C Painted Desert Music Corp.
Laura Love wrote this fun song—check out her version. She generously agreed to let me write new/more lyrics. Will the song be dated in a few years? Wouldn't that be great. But chances are, there will always be someone out there who, in the name of damage control, should gracefully agree to "retire."
You been telling big time lies
And you been stealing money
In any book of law or god, that's illegal honey
You can’t lead your nation and you are no peace maker
With people dying every day, in my book that's a deal breaker
I’m tired being smooth
I’m tired of being nice
I’m tired of making it sound all pretty
I want you gone like the wind
I want you gone like the wind
I want you gone gone gone gone gone - hey
What we need is a mama
Thanks so much for trying
We are sending you on your way
That's the price you pay for lying
But don’t you worry little one
We won’t be after you only
Most the congress and most the court
So you won’t be sad and lonely
We could feed the whole wide world
And empty all of the prisons
Doctors could return to healing
Leaders would require vision
War would be a thing of the past
And we would all learn to listen
You're running the world with an iron hand
And the heart and soul is missing
Words by Holly Near, Music by Holly Near, Michael Butler, John Bucchino and Jan Martinelli / © Hereford Music
I don't feel good, love is gone
Lost all hope by the crack of dawn
But what if more love is on the way
Wouldn't you hate to miss that day
You gotta show up, get ready
See if you know how to rock steady
It don’t look good, news is bad
You know I lost all hope that I thought I had
But what if good news is on the way
Wouldn't you hate to miss that day
You gotta show up get ready
See if you know how to rock steady
Keep walkin’ that walk, keep talkin’ that talk
Get busy, get bold, life never on hold
Show up - get ready
See if you know how to rock steady
Most of the world is ready for change
Being quiet is mighty strange
No reason to feel alone
We're coming together, bring it on home
There'll be hurting and there'll be quiet
There'll be a danger of a riot
You don’t need to do it all
One little bit can break the fall
You gotta show up, rock steady
See if you know how
Sure is easy to lay the blame
Losing the planet is a doggone shame
Little bit harder to do that do
Can’t be done without you
You gotta show up, get ready
See if you know how to rock steady
Keep walkin’ that walk, keep talkin’ that talk
You're never too old, life never on hold
You gotta show up, rock steady
See if you know how to
There's a change in the weather
Let's try to get it together
Talking about nonviolence
And a little defiance
You gotta show up, rock steady
See if you know how to get ready
Holly Near / © Hereford Music
Waiting for a long time or waiting for a bus
Feels a bit like waiting for you
I never know if it has come and gone or perhaps it’s a block away
Feels a bit like waiting for you
So you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I say "No, no it's about love"
And you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I need to look back at you and say "It's about love"
Longing for a short time or longing for a train out
Feels a bit like longing for you
I never know if I should sit up all night or take in a sleeping car
Feels a bit like longing for you
So you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I say "No, no, it's about love"
And you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I need to look back at you and say "It's about love"
Holding on to no time or holding on to life
Feels a bit like holding on to you
I never know if I should ride it to the bell or give it to the clown
Feels a bit like holding on to you
So you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I say "No, no it's about love"
And you look at me and you say "Well hey, it's about time"
And I need to look back at you and say "It's about love"
So I look at you and I say "OK then, it's about time"
And you say "No, no, it's about love"
So I look at you and I say "OK then, it's about time"
And you need to look back at me and say "It's about love"
And you look back at me and you say "Oh darling, it's about love"
And I look at myself and I say "Well hey, it's about time."
Trad. arranged by Holly Near, New words by Holly Near / © Hereford Music
Some say this is a traditional Irish air while others say it is one of the oldest Anglo-Saxon sea shanties. It is riddled with verses of punishment like "Put him in bed with the captain's daughter" (captain's daughter is a reference to a whip) or "Shave his belly with a rusty razor." Hundreds of year later, we now know that addiction is a disease and cannot be beaten out of you.* Alcohol, heroin, control, food, oil, work, sex, crack, shopping, gambling, lying, rage, power—whether we are the sailor or the dark shadow of a soul on the widow's walk, it can take us down.
What shall we do with the drunken sailor
Early in the morning
Row the long boat to a landing
The drinking life is too demanding
Tough love will leave you standing
Are you sick of being sick and tired*
Being late and being fired
First one drunk and last one hired
The kids all love you and adore you
But by evening they are looking for you
Rowing a lifeboat along beside you
The wind is up and the ocean rages
Disease will take you down in stages
The killer whale will eat through cages
Loving this much has got me grieving
I can’t stand by and watch you leaving
But no more lies, no more deceiving
The truth comes in the morning
I’m loving the one this storm is taking
I’m on the shore, my heart is breaking
Watching a drowning in the making
It's gonna take me down—by morning
Living in guilt and dying in shame
The drunken sailor is not to blame
But when we asked for help millions came
And it was a brand new morning
*"Sick and tired of being sick and tired" has entered popular language use. Where did it come from? Fannie Lou Hamer said it. She was one of the most important influences in the civil rights movement. Learn more at www.ibiblio.org/sncc/people.html
Words and music by Holly Near / © Hereford Music
Oh river take it on down, take it on down, take it on down
Oh river take it on down, take it on down to the sea
Someday i will fly so high
I will walk barefoot on the sky
Oh river take it on down, take it on down, take it on down
Oh river take it on down, take it on down to the sea
Someday i will dance so fast
The future will start to look like the past
Oh river take it on down, take it on down, take it on down
Oh river take it on down, take it on down to the sea
Someday i will sing so high
The birds will look up and wonder why
Oh river take it on down, take it on down, take it on down
Oh river take it on down, take it on down to the sea
Here we are to celebrate love, family gathered around
In a time when war is raging, love is so profound
Oh river take it on down, take it on down, take it on down
Oh river take it on down, take it on down to the sea