13th Amendment Ratified: Redemption Song

Bob Marley redemption song

On today’s date of December 6 in 1865, Georgia voted for the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The vote provided sufficient state support to officially ratify the amendment ending slavery in the United States.

Earlier, after the U.S. Senate had passed the amendment in April 1864, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the measure in January of 1865.  The vote sent the amendment to the states for ratification, with that process ending on today’s date.

The Thirteenth Amendment

Thus, on today’s date, after more than a century of bloodshed by the lash followed by several years of bloodshed on the battlefield, these words were finally placed in the U.S. Constitution: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

A Song of Freedom: Redemption Song

They are beautiful words, long overdue, of course. The words of freedom remind me of some other beautiful words that begin, “Old pirates, yes, they rob I;/ Sold I to the merchant ships.” In honor of the anniversary of the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, it seems an appropriate time to join in to sing a song of freedom.  The song, of course, is “Redemption Song” written by the great Bob Marley, who sings it live in the following video.

Marley wrote the song around 1979 after being diagnosed with cancer.  He took the famous line “emancipate ourselves from mental slavery” from a speech by Pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey.

Marley’s song, though, speaks in a broader context.  He starts off singing about slave ships and ends with a plea for us to emancipate ourselves from mental slavery.

The powerful song is not locked in time or place, but it now belongs to the world. Earlier this year, Playing for Change created a cool video of performers from around the world — including Stephen Marley — joining in to create a beautiful cover of the song.

I suppose more Americans know the words to “Redemption Song” than to the Thirteenth Amendment. Yet, both continue to resonate around the world. Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom?

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    Rocket Man, Burning Out His Fuse Up Here Alone

    Who knew that a line in Elton John’s song “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long Long Time)” was “burning out his fuse up here alone?” Volkswagen has some fun in this 2012 Passat commercial below by using the mysterious and somewhat awkward lyric written by Bernie Taupin:

    Funny.

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    This Week in Pop Culture Roundup (4 Dec. 2011 Edition)

    Tommy movie film In case you have been preoccupied having seizures from watching The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 — or you have been preparing to suspend you campaign for president — or if you were busy writing a speech for a governor apologizing to a teenager, here are some of the pop culture stories you might have missed.


    —— Music ——

    Don McLean revealed where he wrote and first performed “American Pie,” refuting a local legend.

    In Grammy news, Adele, Kanye West, Bruno Mars, and Foo Fighters led the Grammy nominations. In other Grammy news, some pondered whether or not the Beach Boys will reunite at the Grammys. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane was nominated for two Grammys and will compete with Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. Finally, Sugarland joined Lady Gaga for a rousing performance of “You and I” at the Grammy Nominations Concert this week.

    In another cool collaboration, Bruce Springsteen appeared on stage with Bob Seger last week for some old time rock and roll. Blogness has the story and video.

    John Lennon’s to-do list went up for auction. All you need is . . . more marmalade.

    Andrea True, singer of “More More More (How Do You Like It?),” passed away earlier this month.

    You may listen to the new CD from the Roots, “undun,” on NPR’s website.

    Hanson (i.e., The Hanson Brothers) are developing a beer named. . . “MMMHop.” I’m guessing the beer will stay with you for a long time in the same way the catchy song does.

    The Los Angeles Times reviewed Willie Nelson’s new CD, “Remember Me, Vol. 1.”

    In touring news, George Michael cancelled the remaining dates of his tour to recover from pneumonia. Meanwhile, The Red Hot Chili Peppers announced their first U.S. tour in nearly five years, starting Jan. 25.

    It’s “either a misprint or a satire.” — Elvis Costello, commenting on $339.98 box set of a Costello performance.

    The New York Times     reviewed a new biography of Ahmet Ertegun, the great founder and president of Atlantic Records.

    Watch the ten films for the ten songs on Bon Iver’s self-titled album, released this week in a deluxe edition.

    —— Movies ——

    The Sound of Music has found a new life in movie theaters as a sing-a-long event.

    Planet of the Apes

    This week, Retraunaut posted some cool behind-the-scenes photos from Planet of the Apes (1967) of the “apes” hanging out.

    Firstshowing.net reviewed Cameron Crowe’s new movie We Bought a Zoo.

    In honor of the director’s latest film, Salon featured a slide show of Martin Scorsese’s greatest films.

    A new book recounts how actress Hedy Lamarr contributed to the cell phone technology we use today.

    The New York Times     reviewed the new DVD and Blu-ray of the classic and controversial film, Birth of a Nation.

    Ken Russell, the director of Tommy, The Devils, and Altered States passed away. Watching each of those films in the movie theater were memorable events for me. RIP Mr. Russell.

    New pictures were released of the fictional Mars in the upcoming John Carter.

    Fans discussed how the possible Before Sunrise/Before Sunset sequel should go.

    I was sorry to hear that Roger Ebert’s recent incarnation of At the Movies is going on hiatus. I enjoyed the show.


    —— Other Pop Culture News ——

    The Waltons reunited on The Today Show for their 40th Anniversary.

    In The Office news, now you may buy Dunder Mifflin copy paper. Also, Stanley from The Office (Leslie David Baker) made a music video. In sadder Office-related news, comedian Patrice O’Neal, who also appeared periodically on The Office, passed away last week from complications of a stroke. RIP.

    The Fantastic Four are turning 50.

    The inventor of the Jenos pizza roll and Chun King canned Chinese food, Jeno Paulucci, died on Thanksgiving. Chun King was the only time I encountered Chinese food as a kid, and, well, I have enjoyed several meals of nothing but pizza rolls. RIP Mr. Paulucci.

    What were your thoughts on the pop culture stories of the week? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    From France to Grunge: Terry Jacks’s “Seasons in the Sun”

    “Seasons in the Sun” became a hit in 1974 for Terry Jacks. The song, however, originated as a French song and it later was covered by Nirvana.

    seasons in the sun

    Regular readers of Chimesfreedom might be surprised to learn that I did not grow up listening only to the hippest rock music on the planet. As a kid in the 1970s, I listened to a lot of AM radio, which gave me a steady diet of pop songs. For example, in 1974, Bob Dylan went on the road for the first time since 1966 and the Ramones were forming.  And, one of the biggest hits of the year was “Seasons in the Sun” by Terry Jacks.

    Then again, that year also featured endless radio plays of “Kung Fu Fighting,” “Smokin’ in the Boys Room,” and Olivia Newton-John’s “I Honestly Love You.” Whether I like it or not, these songs and other similar songs from 1974 are all etched in my brain.

    “Seasons in the Sun”

    In the morbid song “Seasons in the Sun,” the singer is dying for an unknown reason. He addresses his father, his friend, and Michelle, who is either his lover, his daughter, or younger sister. He expresses his happiness that they had “seasons in the sun.” But he also laments that “the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone.”

    Why was the song such a big hit? As I have written elsewhere, songs about dying may subconsciously make us happy in that they remind us to enjoy life. Or, as James Sullivan wrote in an excellent article about the song on Slate, “During those mid-Watergate weeks and months, the whole country seemed eager to wallow in tuneful misery.” Or maybe it was the catchy opening riff.

    Origins of “Seasons in the Sun” From “Le Moribond”

    “Seasons in the Sun” was a reworking of a French song, “Le Moribond” (“The Dying Man”) by Jacques Brel. In Brel’s version, the singer addresses his wife in the final verse.

    Check out Brel’s version and see how the original style of the song is much different than the poppy march-like American version.

    Rod McKeuen, the pop poet of the time, wrote the English translation for “Seasons in the Sun.” And Terry Jacks — who was born on March 29, 1944 in Winnipeg, Manitoba — made some modifications.

    Jacks then brought the song to The Beach Boys when he was producing one of their sessions.  But the band decided not to release their happy-sounding version. Perhaps they had agreed to record the song based on the fact the title “Seasons in the Sun” sounds so much like a Beach Boys title. Their decision not to release the song, though ended up being good for Jack. he then recorded his version, which became a big hit.

    Legacy of “Seasons in the Sun”

    Here is the point in the article where I admit that I owned the 45 record of “Seasons in the Sun.” But I do not think it ruined my taste in music.

    Better men have survived an embrace of the charms of the song. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain loved the song, and it was the first 45 record he ever bought. It did not seem to hurt his taste in music.

    As for Terry Jacks, he never had another big hit like “Seasons in the Sun.” He recorded a few songs that had some success in Canada, the U.K., and the U.S. He went on to be a record producer and work as an environmentalist, and he is still alive. [2023 UPDATE:  In 2016, Jacks suffered through two strokes but survived.]

    But apparently it has been a long time since Jacks recorded new music.  So “Seasons in the Sun” was largely his season in the sun as far as music success goes. But at least he had one big season.

    So as we enter December and will soon welcome a new season later this month, we wish you a good winter. (Speaking of seasons, if you are seeking more depressing songs like “Seasons in the Sun,” check out this post on depressing holiday season songs. And remember, if you are not a fan of the upcoming season, one season always goes into another. And the holiday season is over in less than a month.)

    What do you think of “Seasons in the Sun”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Happy Birthday Samuel Clemens: Mark Twain in Film

    Mark Twain Tonight On November 30 in 1835, Samuel Clemens was born in Florida, Missouri. Clemens, of course, later adopted the pseudonym “Mark Twain” from a term used during his riverboat days and went on to become one of America’s greatest authors.

    Twain’s novels — including Tom Sawyer, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and the beloved and controversial Adventures of Huckleberry Finn — are classics that capture a certain time period as well as a timeless American spirit. It is no surprise that there are several film versions of Twain’s books, and there even is a Texas high school named after the author of books about kids skipping school.

    Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer on Film

    But I am not sure there is a great film version of one of the novels that fully captures what Twain did with his books. Of course, films often fail in fully capturing a novel, but the films may still be successful in their own rights.

    The film versions of Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are often ordinary children’s movies, even though the former novel was much more than a children’s book. For example, in 1993, a young Elijah Wood starred in a Walt Disney film, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1993).

    A Connecticut Yankee

    A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court has inspired various versions on the big and small screen.  There is even one with Bugs Bunny.

    One of the most successful film versions of a Twain novel is 1949’s musical A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, starring Bing Crosby, Rhonda Fleming, and William Bendix.

    Hal Holbrook as Twain

    But the performance that may best capture Mark Twain is Hal Holbrook’s one-man show, Mark Twain Tonight.  The show appeared on CBS in 1967 and won Holbrook an Emmy.

    In Holbrook’s spot-on believable performance, he captures the humor and dark satire present in much of Twain’s works. One scene, for example, includes dialogue taken from Twain’s controversial 1903 essay, “The Damned Human Race.”

    The Real Mark Twain on Video

    We always need a Mark Twain, and American writers, commentators, and comedians continue to be influenced by the writer. In 2011, he was honored with a postage stamp. And in 2010 he had a best-seller with Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. 1.  The book was was first released that year following Twain’s instructions that much of the text not be published for 100 years.

    For a video of the real Mark Twain, check out the video below of the only known video of the man, shot by Thomas Edison.

    So on this birthday of America’s great humorist, take some comfort in that Samuel Clemons is still with us, whether it be with the movies, his writing, or his inspiration. The recent parodies of The Pepper Spray Cop, for example, seem to capture our national Twain-ian humor. As Mark Twain once explained, “The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.”

    What is your favorite Mark Twain book or film? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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