From Neil Diamond. This song always makes me tear up just a little. I recall that day 22 years ago, rising at 4AM to get through emigration in Guangzhou, fly to Hong Kong, then to Los Angeles, through immigration, bringing my new little American immigrant home, with this song in my head.
This is for our ancestors who took a chance on a new land, and worked to make it home, and for those who still dream of joining us in making America a place to be proud of.
I'm a grandchild of immigrants, served 23 years in the Air Force, and love this country. We're better than what many on the far right would have you think, and we'll be back on track again one day.
Just an FYI — this song was including on a list of around 150 songs deemed "inappropriate for radio airplay" circulated by Clear Channel Communications following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. At that time, the Texas-based corporation owned and operated or provided the programming for more than a thousand radio stations across the country.
Some of the choices were understandable, such as the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" and Soundgarden's "Blow Up the Outside World," but other choices, such as "Ticket to Ride" by the Beatles, "On Broadway" by the Drifters and "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John appear to have made the list because of their reference to airplanes or New York locales.
But some of the listed songs spoke of universal optimism, like Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", and others were emotional but hopeful songs that could have helped people grieve, like "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens and "A World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon were less explicable because they had little or no literal connection to the tragedies.
To their credit, the suggestions were not mandatory, and it was left up to the individual radio stations to review the list and make their own decisions.
After 9-11 we were cohesive and fired up for a fight which is good for business. Songs like "What a Wonderful World", "Imagine", or "Bridge Over Troubled Water" might cool that anger before they could pick someone to declare war on.
I'm a grandchild of immigrants, served 23 years in the Air Force, and love this country. We're better than what many on the far right would have you think, and we'll be back on track again one day.
ReplyDeleteJust an FYI — this song was including on a list of around 150 songs deemed "inappropriate for radio airplay" circulated by Clear Channel Communications following the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. At that time, the Texas-based corporation owned and operated or provided the programming for more than a thousand radio stations across the country.
ReplyDeleteSome of the choices were understandable, such as the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" and Soundgarden's "Blow Up the Outside World," but other choices, such as "Ticket to Ride" by the Beatles, "On Broadway" by the Drifters and "Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John appear to have made the list because of their reference to airplanes or New York locales.
But some of the listed songs spoke of universal optimism, like Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World", and others were emotional but hopeful songs that could have helped people grieve, like "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens and "A World Without Love" by Peter and Gordon were less explicable because they had little or no literal connection to the tragedies.
To their credit, the suggestions were not mandatory, and it was left up to the individual radio stations to review the list and make their own decisions.
-"BB"-
Oh yeah, I remember such lists, even though I was at a local non-Clear Channel station.
ReplyDeleteYou made me tear up reading this.
ReplyDeleteGood Job Mom!
After 9-11 we were cohesive and fired up for a fight which is good for business.
ReplyDeleteSongs like "What a Wonderful World", "Imagine", or "Bridge Over Troubled Water" might cool that anger before they could pick someone to declare war on.