American Anthem by Norah Jones

On this Independence Day, the first thing that came to mind was Norah Jones. Let me explain:

The last couple years I’ve begun watching more documentaries. I love the American Experience series, which shares many writers and producers with the documentary work of Ken Burns.

One of the things that contribute to a great documentary is the use of music. Ken Burns clearly understanding this using period music in artful and deliberate ways, however sometimes he includes music that is not from the period to great effect.

In Ken Burn’s epic Civil War documentary, an original song “Ashokan Farewell,” accompanied the reading of a letter of Sullivan Ballou (which I discussed in this earlier post). This is one of those “if you don’t cry when you watch this, you must be a Cylon” moments.



Burns did a similar thing again using a Norah Jones song as part of his World War II documentary The War.



Burn’s juxtaposes Jones’ gentle and sincere voice against images from World War II. These are images of terror, bravery, triumph and tragedy. There’s American fighting in unimaginable situations pushing aside their survival instincts and logic to fight for the idea, the dream, and the hope that is America.

As Jones sings “I gave my best to you,” we see a soldier who was killed in battle half buried in sand. He gave more than his best, he gave his everything. Watching this video is a celebration and a tribute to people who fought for our freedom but it’s also a question to all of us whether we give our best to America.

Today we celebrate our independence and the creation of our country. These are two incredible gifts we’ve been given that most of us have done nothing to earn. Did I do any work to have the freedoms I enjoy? No.

There are still many Americans who fight in the military to preserve our freedoms but most people don’t. We go about our daily lives, sometimes thinking about what we can do for our country and other times thinking about what our country can do for us.  But honestly, most of the time we’re too wrapped up in our own lives to even think about our relationship to our country.

In addition to seeing fireworks, partying with our friends and family, let’s take this Independence Day to think about how we can give our best to America. It can be something as simple as committing to go to a city council meeting, or volunteering at a community event.

We can’t earn our blessings but if we take advantage of them in a positive way then we can make the spirits of the people who truly gave their best rest easy, knowing their sacrifices were not made in a vain.

Ashokan Farewell from Ken Burns’ The Civil War

"Gen. McClellan was such a wuss. seriously. WORST CIVIL WAR GENERAL EVER!!!"
-Facebook Status update June 24th

As I was watching Ken Burns’ epic documentary The Civil War, I got so enraptured in the drama of the conflict I had to post the a Facbook status update about the McClellan, a Northern general.

McClellan had the resources and the troops but with a lack of confidence and spirit needlessly prolong the war.  Like at the Battle of Antietam, when McClellan with troops outnumbering the Confederate troops failed to launch counterattacks. Why was I getting so frustrated with McClellan? I realized it was because I thought of him as being on my team, the winning team, the North. After finishing the The Civil War, I realized how wrong I was to feel this way.

My understanding of this conflict from my exposure during middle school was that the North didn’t want slavery the South were bad guys who did.  So the North fought them, freed the slaves and the South lost, the end. Ken Burns revealed a lot more to this story.

The South succeeded and the way the North got them back was by invading their land. Lincoln refused to let the war be about slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation was very much a political move. He stated at one time that if he could win the war and not free the slaves he would. There were no good guys or bad guys in this war, only Americans.

At the end of it all the person that I most admired was not Lincoln but General Lee. While his military strategy beating the odds over and over is impressive it was the way that he served his troops which is the most touching.  Lee constantly advocated for the welfare for his troops and after his loss in Gettysburg he rode out amongst his men and apologized to his troops taking blame for devastating loss.

The most powerful part of Ken Burns masterpiece is how he helps us understand on a human level what happened. No one can truly comprehend the over 600,000 American deaths in this war. Burns reveals the struggles through individuals like Sullivan Ballou with his beautiful and heart breaking letter to his wife.



Accompanied by "Ashokan Farewell," the theme composed for this series, this letter expresses love and passion that we all share as Americans and reminds us that the tragedy of death is not simply a loss of life but the pain felt by the people who loved the one who has passed.

The Civil War will change the way you view America and will make you question what it means to be American.  Yes, it's nine episodes that adds up to more than 10 hours but watching this documentary is an engaging and unforgettable experience.    

Easy Silence by The Dixie Chicks

. . . smuggled guns use in cartel hits . . . 3 killed when plane hits house . . . N.J. Man Tells Cops He Threw Baby Off Bridge. . . high school in lockdown over gun threat . . . Snipers Bedevil U.S. Troops. . . abuse, violence, neglect, pain, suffering, life, sometimes it’s just all too much to take.

It all just makes you tired sometimes. The way a dark, cold winter day saps away your strength, the darkness of the world tears at your spirit. Some days I don’t want to turn on the television or even leave the house so I don’t have to face all the terrors that are unfortunately part of the human condition. However, ever I day I get up, go to work do the best I can at my job and even though some days it’s more of a struggle than others I haven’t given up yet and I think I know why.

When the Dixie Chicks released Taking The Long Way, their response to the overblown criticism they received for making a joke about President Bush (W.) during the early days of the Iraq war their lead single was “Not Ready To Be Nice.” This incredible statement of strength and conviction is one of my favorite songs of all time (I reflected on this song and the controversy in this earlier post).



What opened their album Taking The Long Way, was not this forceful and passionate anthem but a personal, soft, love song, “Easy Silence.” This unique and touching statement of gratitude is one of the Dixie Chicks finest and most nuanced works and one of Diana’s, my wife’s favorite songs.



Finding her most personal expression not in belting but singing softly as a mother to her child, Natalie Maines lists of the pressures of the world. Starting with smooth alliteration, “calls and conversations, accidents and accusations, messages and misperceptions.” Maines reflects how these things “paralyze my mind.” The anger in the second verse builds to a need for something to believe in. Where she finds her sanity, her peace, herself at the end of the day is in this “easy silence.”

As Maines lists off all of the things that tear her down there is not so much anger but sadness. The steady guitar strumming creates a feeling of security in the predictability of the beat but also adds a level of tension as it never ceases like the world turning. Violin lines intertwine in the middle range of the instrument as they search for meaning within all of the madness.

At the core of this song is what Maines describes as her "easy silence." This moment is the security of being at home, being held by a loved one. It’s the sanctuary of faith, of hope. It’s knowing that the sun will come up tomorrow and that as much as people fall in the depth of the human heart there are many who raise above and continue to bring light into the world.

In the insanity of the world, the constant information, there is true peace in silence. Being there for someone isn’t so much what you say but your presence, not only physically but mentally and emotionally being there.

When someone is completely there for you and with you they create a place where nothing can harm you. It’s a place that pain can be felt, tears can be cried and where in this catharsis we find the strength to go on.

Through the magic of music the Dixie Chicks have created silence through music.

Mack The Knife by Bobby Darin

Not all lyrics are created equal.

Some lyrics are trite and are just there to serve the melody, other times lyrics play an equal importance in the song and with artist like Bob Dylan, the lyrics are the most important expressive and artistic aspect of a song.

Regardless of the level of the lyrical artistry, I like knowing the lyrics and what they are about. Often when I’m talking to friends and they a mention and I casually mention what they lyrics are about they are often shocked especially when the lyrics seems to say express something different then the words. One of the most striking examples of this is “Mack The Knife” from The Threepenny Opera

Between World War I and World War II, life for Germans was so bad that all artist could do was make jokes about life’s misfortune. This type of “black humor” was the only way people could cope with life. Two of the most important artists of this time in Germany who used dark humor to comment on life were the composer Kurt Weill and the playwright Bertolt Brecht. In 1928, these two legendary artist combined forces to compose the musical The Threepenny Opera.

The Threepenny Opera is the story of Macheath. He falls in love with a girl named Polly and wants to marry her against her father’s wishes. The father, Jonathan Jeremiah Peachum, who controls the beggars in London, successfully gets Macheath arrested and sentenced to death. Luckily Macheath is pardoned right before he is executed. Our hero is released and we are made to feel happy that Macheath has escaped such an unjust and cruel fate.

Before this story begins, we are told about this person, our hero, Macheath, otherwise known as “Mack the Knife.” The musical opens with a “moritat” a story of murder performed strolling musician. The moritat singer bookends the show singing about hos exploits.

Macheath is bad man even though it’s not clear what exactly he has done. The police have arrested him numerous times for crimes but Macheath always gets released because he served in the military with the Chief of Police. Even though Macheath has done some horrible things, we cheer him on in this story as he fights for his love and freedom, with the warnings of “Mack the Knife” echoing in our memory.

What people originally heard was not a big band arrangement with a swinging jazz vocalist out front, instead they heard this:



This recording of Brecht singing “Mack the Knife” in German is kind of creepy isn’t it? Listening to this song feels like I’m wearing a shirt that doesn’t quite fit right but I just can’t get it off. . ick.

That’s the original “Mack the Knife.” It’s eerie and just a tad disturbing. It’s like someone telling a group of people a joke about a girl being raped and laughing at his own joke while everyone else in the room is just sickened.

When Bobby Darin told his management that he wanted to record “Mack the Knife,” after he had just scored with the hits “Splish Splah” and “Dream Lover,” they argued against it. Darin recorded it anyways and it became his biggest hit. Many people recorded this song after Darin brought it into our cultural consciousness. My personal favorite is this Robbie William’s cover.



The song opens talking about a shark as a metaphor for Macheath. The “scarlet billows” is blood flowing while Macheath’s fancy gloves never show “a trace of red.” The next verse talks about a body “oozing life” as the singer wonders if he just saw Macheath around the corner. The singers takes us down by the river, where a cement bag is weighing someone down to the bottom of the river which the singers sees as a sign that Macheath is back in town. The last part of the song lists off people who Macheath killed. It’s kind of odd how this is the part of the song when it kicks into a joyful shout chorus.

I’ve always loved “Mack the Knife” but ever since I found out the history behind the song and what the lyrics are about, I feel a little guilty enjoying hearing about this sadistic man, Macheath. The thing is, I like the song even more knowing what it’s about, and the feeling that I shouldn’t is what makes it all the more fun.

Travelin' Soldier by The Dixie Chicks

"Travelin’ Soldier" live performance

Many people take the opportunity on this memorial day weekend to go on vacation, have barbeques and spend time with family. Memorial day also marks the end of the school year providing a feeling of freedom for children (and teachers) all across America. With all of this excitement, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the point of Memorial day.

Celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War, Memorial Day originally honored Union soldiers who had died in the America Civil War. After World War I, the American government changed the day to include all Americans who died in war or military action.

How do we honor all those have made the ultimate sacrifice? When I think of the magnitude of loss, it’s too much for me to comprehend. In World War II, we lost around 290,000, in Vietnam, 47,000 and in our current war in Iraq, we have lost 4,250 as of April 30, 2009. I have issues imagining what 4,250 people look like in as a crowd let alone 290,000. I don’t even have a chance of relating to the emotional power of this kind of loss when I have issues with simply picturing that many people.

Human understanding does not lie in groups but in individual connection and its through the stories of individuals, that we can get a sense of what this all means to who we are as a people. Often the stories that we hear about veterans are the heroic tales of soldiers who win purple hearts. The story is about a different kind of hero. It’s about a teenage girl, a chance encounter and the love of a traveling soldier.

Bruce Robison wrote and recorded “Travelin’ Soldier” in 1996. Ty England also recorded this song in 1999 but it was the Dixie Chick version off their 2002 album Home that became a hit. Home, their third album with lead singer Natalie Maines (sixth album as the Dixie Chicks) displayed a musical maturity not heard on their previous albums. The Dixie Chicks contrasted Home from their previous two albums fusing their pop sensibility with a more acoustic bluegrass sound, which is most notably heard on their second single “Long Time Gone.”

“Travelin’ Soldier” is the story of a teenage girl meets a soldier while working at a café. The girl notices he is a little shy, so she smiles at him and he asks if she has some time to talk. The soldier tells her that he doesn’t have anyone to write to and asks if he can write a letter to him. We don’t hear the girls response, instead the chorus flashes forward to a time when the girl has fallen in love with him.

The chorus is a simple but powerful description of teenage love. The first two words of the chorus “I cried” are followed by a declaration of commitment saying that she will never hold the hand of another guy. She states that their love will never end as she waits for him to come back. The chorus ends “never more to be alone when the letter said ‘A soldier coming home.’” With this notification that the soldier is coming home the melody descends and the instruments seem to pull into themselves like a shallow breath, foreshadow the end of the story.

The next verse follows the soldier’s letters and his commitment to her. He writes all the way from Vietnams and reminisces about the time they had together. He tells her of his heart and how “it might be love.” Even within the dire situation of war, this soldier is thinking of love and what it means.

The last verse is set at a football game. As part of the opening ceremonies, an announcer reads of a list of local Vietnam dead. As the rest of the crowd seems to move on with the game, the girl, a piccolo player in the marching band cries alone under the stands.

Her hopes were high. She found companionship in the soldier, in his letters and the promise of him coming home. In the eyes of a teenager, this means the world, and the loss of her soldier was not only a loss of companion and a love but loss of hope.

Often when we hear stories of teenage love, they sound trite, but Natalie Maines takes this story seriously. Maines scales back her voice, drawing in the listener as she carefully paints the lyrics with the colors in her voice.

The Dixie Chicks, set up the last chorus, pulling the instruments down to a moment of silence in the last verse behind the words “Vietnam dead.” After this silence, Maines enters on the word “crying.” She sounds almost angry when she sings about no one else caring, like she’s screaming at everyone to look at the girl, to feel her loss and to acknowledge what has been lost.

Part of me feels like I want to shake up our country and remind everyone the point of Memorial Day, but maybe it’s in enjoying, truly cherishing the freedoms in our lives that we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe it's enough, maybe it's not. And taking a moment to think about this leads us to the meaning of this day.

"I have never been able to think of the day as one of mourning; I have never quite been able to feel that half-masted flags were appropriate on Decoration Day. I have rather felt that the flag should be at the peak, because those whose dying we commemorate rejoiced in seeing it where their valor placed it. We honor them in a joyous, thankful, triumphant commemoration of what they did."
~Benjamin Harrison

Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There is a Season) by The Byrds

"Turn! Turn! Turn!” the Byrds live performance
"Turn! Turn! Turn!” Roger McGuin & Bruce Springsteen live performance

I was named after a trash can.

Well that’s the joke but it’s half-true. People often ask me how my parent’s chose my first name, "Kingsley." The short answer is that my dad saw the name on a office product and named me after a company which now specializes in depositories www.kingsley.com (and well yes, they do make trash cans but mostly they specialize in drops boxes).

The real answer is about the immigrant experience. When people immigrate from Asia, most of the time they chose American first names, use the middle name for their Chinese name (mine is Chin-Jer) and use their original last name. Choosing the American name for immigrants often comes from taking a name that sounds like their Chinese name. For example my dads full Chinese name is “Tang Bing-Yue” (in Chinese the order of names are: last, first then middle). My dad when he came to America took "Bing," (i.e. Bing Crosby) and my dad’s American name is Bing Yue Tang.

Now when my parent were trying to figure out an American names for my me and my borther they didn’t want to use a Christian derived name, since they were not Christian. Most American names have Christian origins except for the British Royal names like "Edward" my brother’s first name and "Kingsley" which is derived the from the Scottish clan name "Kinsella."

My parents played along with the Christian traditions which had made their way into the American culture like Christmas and Easter which we celebrated non-religiously. It seemed to me growing up that Christianity was something for other people that I didn't need to know about.

Growing up listening to the local oldies station with my dad "Turn! Turn! Turn!" was a song that I knew well and even in middle school I fancied myself an expert on popular music. So when one of my friends spoke about his excitement about this song because the lyrics were from the Bible, well, it brought together two worlds: the popular music world that I loved and the Christian world, which I had been ignoring.

Since then I have made an effort to get to know Christianity, not because I wanted to convert or go to church every Sunday, I just didn't want to be left out. I wanted to know about the religion inspired some of the most important and transcendent art in history.

In studying Christianity in American culture, I have seen interpretations of the religion that I strongly disagree with. From Bob Jones universities policy banning interracial marriage on its campus which was in effect until it was taken off the books in 2000, to current arguments citing verses from the Bible to argue homosexuality as being a sinful lifestyle choice. Many people have insidiously distorted Christianity to serve their own agendas. This is not only annoying but infuriating because at its core, at its best Christianity is a hopeful religion and one of the truest expressions of all that is humanity and “Turn! Turn! Turn!” represents all of this in a beautiful and powerful way.

When Pete Seeger, one of the most influential American folk singers, used the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1 from the King James version of the Bible he was responding to his publisher who disliked his protest songs. Seeger responded that what protest songs “were the only songs he knew how to write" as he explains in this interview.



The two musicians at the end of this clip are Roger McGuinn and David Crosby who as members of the band the Bryds recorded “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and transformed it from an obscure folk song to an iconic song of the 1960s.

McGuinn describes how they added a “Beatle beat” and an counter-melody to use as an introduction but the Byrds did so much than that to the song. What is immediately striking about this song is the Roger McGuinn’s guitar. This song is one of the most famous uses of the 12-string Rickebacker guitar. This guitar features 6 pairs of strings, each pair tuned to the same note that corresponds to a stings on regular 6-string guitar. The bottom four pairs have the strings tuned in octaves on the same note while the top two pairs are tuned in the same octave. This creates a bright resonant sound, that sparkles like the light shining through oak trees leaves on a sunny day.



The guitar playing of McGuinn’s 12-string Rickebacker seems to turn and roll into itself enforcing the meaning of the lyrics. Watching McGuinn playing this song solo with his guitar up the creative and understated way that McGuinn moves through the chords and creates the sound of multiple guitars in becomes clear.

On top of this rolling guitar line are the vocals which alternate between unison singing on “to everything” to the gentle harmony behind the words “turn, turn, turn.” David Crosby, who later went on to further fame with Crosby, Stills and Nash provides the gentle high harmony which brings a comforting sense to the melody.

While the chorus has a sense of calmness and acceptance the verses express a feeling of urgency. With the turning of the earth and the cycle of life, thereis inevitable that all the things in the verses, both good and bad are happening and the purpose behind all of this is beyond are understanding.

Seeger added the last two lines of the final verse because he needed them to balance out the verse but in adding “a time for peace, I swear it’s not too late” he breaks the pattern. Every other line describes the good and the bad, a yin/yang relationship. The song mentions peace in the third verse but is preceded by war. However ending the last verse with peace alone is a statement that peace is coming and that we can’t give up.

“Turn! Turn! Turn!” may not be the greatest religious song ever written but it helped me understand what Christianity means to people. It showed me that Christianity is about embracing the human experience. It is knowing that everything, even the bad things, have a purpose and that in the end of all there is always hope because in life it is never to late embrace love over hate and embrace peace over war.

That’s not a bad bunch of ideas to be at the center of a culture, or a life.

I’m Yours by Jason Mraz

As we meet here tonight, our men and women in uniform stand watch abroad and more are readying to deploy. To each and every one of them, and to the families who bear the quiet burden of their absence, Americans are united in sending one message: we honor your service, we are inspired by your sacrifice, and you have our unyielding support.
-Barack Obama

As one of my fellow teacher’s brother, a staff sergeant in the United States Army, answered questions from a group of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, I saw what Barack Obama described as the “quiet burden” in her eyes.

Home from Afghanistan for two weeks, the staff sargeant visited a group of students to talk to them about his experiences in the army. I’ve never heard someone currently in the military talk about his or her experiences in person. I hear people talk about on television all the time but there was something very different about this presentation.

He talked apolitically and his intentions were simple, to serve his country. This was a job and as he referred to the clothing that the men wore in Afghanistan as “man-jammies,” he reminded me that behind the training and discipline there was a man, not that different than myself or any of my friends.

The staff sergeant opened his presentation by playing a movie montage of pictures and video footage that he and some of his friends had put together for a guy in their unit who got shot in the leg and sent home. The pictures showed the daily life of the soldiers including their living quarter, going out on patrol and the unit’s dog (which seemed to be the most fascinating part of the presentation to the students). The movie had different songs in the background and the first song of the montage was “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.

Now, without asking Jason Mraz himself, it seems fairly clear by the lyrics of “I’m Yours” were not intended to be a song about soldier fighting in Afghanistan. However, combined with the images in the montage the song became connected in my mind with the thoughts and feelings I experienced watching the images of American soldiers in Afghanistan.

“I’m Your” is a fun bouncy love song. The narrator is telling his love how he will not hesitate any more and give himself completely to the person that he loves. Mraz contrasts the nice lilt in the verses with a contemplative chorus. The funny thing is that as I listened to this song and watching the images of soldiers, my ear pulled out certain lines in the song that seemed to apply to the soldier experience that stuck with me.

“I fell right through the cracks, now I’m trying to get back.”

“And nothing’s going to stop me but divine intervention, I reckon it’s again my turn to win some or learn some.”

“Well open up your mind and see like me.”

“We’re just on big family, and it’s our God-forsaken right to be loved.”

I found myself holding back tears as these lines jumped out of the song to me. I imagined people younger then me looking out at the desert sky trying to get back home. In “divine intervention” we find our purpose but so does the other side and as much as we do win some, I hope we don’t lose any more. I don’t really know if I can see like a soldier but I try to get perspective and well, it’s just too much to think of.

The staff sergeant described the people of Afghanistan as being similar to us but it just seems so much easier to divide. Yes, there is the God-forsaken right to be loved, but by who, and with our concerns, not only with ourselves and our family how far does that love extend out?

After the video, he took some questions and a third grader girl asked “Have you ever been scared?” and without hesitation he answered “yes, I have been.” At that moment, I realized that I was scared as well.

Look, I’m not from military family, and I don’t really understand what it means to have someone that you love overseas fighting. I’m not someone who has a great grasp on worldwide politics or an in depth understanding on world history. I can’t really argue if wars are inevitable or whether we should be spending the amount of money that we do on the military.

All I know is that I can’t imagine my friends, let alone myself running into battle with 90 pounds of gear armed with a rifle and pistol fighting in a land across the world from the people I love. I look at my students and hope that they never have to face the challenges of a war when they grow up. World War II defined the “greatest generation” but part of me can’t help but wonder how much greater that generation would have been with over 400,000 Americans who died fighting for our freedom and the total of over 70 million human lives who died in the conflict worldwide. This lose is too much to comprehend but so is the loss of the brave soldier that I had the honor of meeting.

“I’m Your” last verse ends with “our time is short, this is our fate, I’m yours.” I know on some levels that we don’t really have power over the destiny of worldwide conflicts. Our time is short and if our duty that we take on is our fate, than a soldier’s path is in his or her control.

What we can’t forget is that every person over there is ours, not in the patriotic sense but in the human sense. These are our sons and daughter over there and sometimes I think we need to ignore the politics and convolution of these conflicts and remember that.

As we go about our lives, go to work, love our friends, the silent burden is for all of us to bear and in that, we’re truly are one big family.