The Power of Music
The stage lights turned blue. Smoke filled the air. The guitar solo coming through the speakers was mesmerizing. For an undetermined amount of time, the soloist was going to town on six simple strings, amplified past 11. It brought the crowd to its feet, and I knew that I had just experienced something beyond words. My wife leaned over to me and said with the same sense of awe that I was feeling in that moment, “I don’t know if it was an angel or a demon, but that man was just possessed.”
That was just a snapshot of what it was like to be at the Gary Clark Jr. concert in Indianapolis this week. And, let me say this first, if you have an opportunity to see him in concert, go. Drop everything. Reschedule what you need to reschedule. And, just, GO!
Here. Let me make it easier for you: Gary Clark Jr. Tour page. (And, no, it’s not an affiliate link. I’m not going to make a dime from this recommendation. Just do it. He is THAT good.)
Gary Who?
I’ve told a few people over the last couple of weeks that I was going to be going to a Gary Clark Jr. concert, and received the same blank look just about every time. I would say, “He does a lot of blues guitar,” which is true, but it also grossly understates the music that he creates.
Gary (can I call him Gary, or GCJ?) plays guitar like nobody I’ve ever seen or heard. I know that Jimi Hendrix is legendary, and I love listening to Hendrix from time to time. He was an amazing guitarist that was ahead of his time. But I said after the show, and I’ll stand by it, if Gary Clark Jr. isn’t the greatest guitarist of this generation, I don’t know who possibly could be. Of course, given that Hendrix passed away in 1970, I imagine he doesn’t fall into the “this generation” category.
This Land
Gary’s latest album, This Land, is an incredible collection of songs that will have you jamming no matter where you are. I’ve listened to it in my car, in the office, at home, at the dinner table, while I’m working around the house, and right now, as I’m writing this post. It’s 1 hour and 13 minutes of pure audible bliss.
One of the big songs right now (I don’t know if it’s getting a lot of air time because I don’t tend to listen to music on the radio — that’s right, I listen to a lot of talk radio, mostly baseball… anyway…) is the title track, This Land.
This Land is a powerful song. In fact, it may be one of the most powerful, emotionally charged songs that I have ever heard. If you have a few minutes today, hop over to YouTube and check out the video too; it’s equally moving.
The short version of where the song comes from is a confrontation with his neighbor, who didn’t believe Gary owned his 50 acre ranch near Austin, Texas. The anger over the encounter boiled over and came out in music form through This Land. Unfortunately, as powerful as the song is, I find myself having to skip it from time to time. I’m not upset about it. I actually think it’s one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard.
The reason I need to skip This Land is because of the chorus:
“N***a run, n***a run, Go back where you come from, N***a run, Go back where you come from, We don’t want, we don’t want your kind, We think you’s a dog born” F**K you, I’m America’s son, This is where I come from
Powerful words. Hard words that mean something. Just words, I can’t play around my children (3 and 2 years old). After all, I don’t need them singing this chorus at daycare or preschool.
The Message
It was very odd hearing This Land at the concert the other night. Clearly, it was a song that the audience had been wanting to hear. When he started with the opening chords, everybody in the theater knew what song was about to come on. What got me was the cheering and dancing around.
Let’s be clear about something here: I’m a white, middle class, male who grew up in the suburbs of Indianapolis. I have never dealt with racism firsthand. I had classmates and friends in school who did, but we never had a conversation about it because open conversations about race were just not happening in America’s suburban high schools in the ‘90’s.
I have known from a very young age that treating somebody different because of the color of their skin is one of the dumbest things that humanity has ever done, and continues to do. People are people. Treat people like people, and we won’t have any problems. I’m not saying that to point out how “enlightened” I am — I don’t think that at all. It’s just a simple fact.
I say all this to point out that I’m not the one who is going to sit here and give you a history on race relations. I’m not qualified to enter into the discussion on a very deep level because, frankly, it’s an issue that I haven’t spent a lot of time on in my white privileged life (and, yes, white privilege is a real thing, folks).
But, even I with my limited, privileged background can feel the emotion behind the words of This Land. And it makes me angry. Not for myself, but for any who have had to face discrimination because of the color of their skin. However, I don’t think that This Land is just about the anger.
When I listen to the song, I sense a righteous anger at the racist history that many African Americans have had to face in their lives, but I get the picture of resolve. The idea of African Americans standing their ground, and saying, “I belong here, and you will treat me as such. This is MY land, too.” Because of that sense, I see This Land as a powerful anthem for Americans everywhere who have been told that they need to “go back where you come from”.
We Have a Problem
The bottom line is that we have a problem in America today. Lay the blame where you will, but don’t ignore the fact that we have seen a rise in white nationalism and white supremacy in the last several years. How many people have to get hurt, or even die, before we do something about it?
Rhetoric that paints people of color as the enemy has to be called out and stopped. It is unacceptable, and represents the worse part of our history as a nation.
What business do people have telling African Americans that they should “go back where you come from” when they didn’t choose to come here in the first place? Let’s not forget that many African Americans are in the country today because their ancestors were kidnapped, chained, shipped across the sea, sold like property, treated even worse because for some God awful reason people thought slavery was an acceptable way of living.
I had a conversation a couple weeks ago with a person about the conversation of reparations that had recently come up again. And this person said that “they” should be countersued if it happens because “they are better off today than if their ancestors had stayed in Africa.” After the shock wore off, I simply said, “I guess if you discount hundreds of years of slavery and the fact that the Civil Rights Movement was only 50 years ago, then you might be right, but I don’t think so.” The very fact that this is a conversation that was had shows we still have a problem.
What’s the Solution?
So, the next obvious question is, “What’s the solution?” Here’s where I will defer to others who have put in the time to concentrate on race relations. Frankly, I am unequipped to lead such a conversation. What I can do is teach respect for all people, regardless of differences — be they physical or philosophical.
I am trying to be more aware myself when it comes to matters of race. After watching Ken Burns’ documentary on baseball, I have a renewed interest in the Negro Leagues — the players, the history, etc. I am planning on visiting the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame in Kansas City later in the year while I’m in KC for a conference. I know that seems small and maybe insignificant to some people, but I have to start with something I know and understand, and, for me, that’s baseball. I’ll be committed to sharing that history with my children and teaching them even the ugly history of the United States.
For now, I’m going to continue listening to This Land — both the album and the title track. I’m going to allow myself to feel the emotions that aren’t mine, but are present in the lyrics. And I’m going to share it with as many people as I possibly can. Because music is powerful, and it can take us places that we’ve never been able to imagine before.
