The Children Are Listening

I flipped on the television a short while ago while taking care of some chores around my bedroom. My initial instinct was to check out the news. It took me just seconds to realize, this was not the diversion, let alone, the inspiration I was seeking. I find it painful to listen to the news these days - with the pain and disillusionment divided between voices from both sides of our political spectrum. I quickly changed to see what we have on our DVR. Having moved only weeks ago, our service and library of recordings are new. But I quickly saw that I had recorded a program some weeks back from WGBH, which I had only partially watched. It was a recording of the Pete Seeger Tribute Concert: Woody's Children 50th Anniversary which aired sometime last month. Done - that I watch, I thought.

The program, which celebrates folk music and folk musicians, is a delight. This episode features so many of my folk music heroes: Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey; Kim and Reggie Harris; Tom Chapin, Holly Near, Dar Williams, and more. It's a delightful celebration of folk music as well as the life, music, and work of Pete Seeger, who, as with so many of the performers, has been an important part of what I like to call "the soundtrack of my life." So I set about my chores while listening. Suddenly I realized that Peter Yarrow was on the screen and that he was singing a song of his own composition about which I had forgotten. It's called "The Children Are Listening." You can watch it here.

As I listened to Peter, I found myself gripped by the power of his words, and the message of the song. This was especially true in light of what I'd heard on the news channel in the extremely brief moments I had it on. Peter's lyrics are haunting against the backdrop of the discourse, division, and darkness that surrounds us in these fractious times:

The children are listening, the children are listening

If we say something cruel and harsh, they will do the same.

The children are listening. The children are listening,

If they grow up to be bullies, we’ll have ourselves to blame.

Miracles can happen even on the darkest days

When we fear that all is lost and that hope has gone astray

Sometimes we drop our weapons when the price we pay’s too great

When the damage to the ones we love is greater than our hate.

Well it’s time to come together across the dividing lines

For our children who are suffering from the pain of these our times

It’s not just ridicule and taunts,or bullying by their peers

Grown-ups rage and hate-filled words are ringing in their ears.

The children are listening . . .

Bigotry and hatred still hang heavy in the air

They poison children’s hearts and minds and leave them in despair

But if we can beat these demons that have kept us so far apart

Love and true forgiveness will begin to heal our hearts.

Well the healing won’t be easy because the pain we’ve caused runs deep,

The injury that we have sown we fear one day we’ll reap,

But if we plant the seeds of peace and with one voice at last,

We join our hearts in peace and love, this painful time will pass!

The children are listening . . .

There’s no doubt that increasingly the world has grown unfair

And for some just plain survival, takes more than they can bear

But when we attack each other, we play the enemies game,

And fail to see that across the line the suffering’s much the same

Well we can defeat the enemy if we recognize it’s face

Let the hatred that divides us, finally be erased.

Let’s finally stand together with our voices loud and clear

And let a song of healing be the one that children hear.

The children are listening . . .

Indeed they are. Peter Yarrow explains in an interview with the CTPost from two years back that, "I wrote ... “The Children are Listening” . . . for the children who are suffering with the pain of these times. The ridicule or the taunts or the bullying by peers with grown-up rage and hate." Peter proceeds to mention his work with Operation Respect, an organization that I have supported over the past decade or so which seeks to eliminate bullying and promote civility.  

I found myself staring at Peter, and the audience, transfixed by the sound of their voices raised together with Peter's powerful lyrics. I found myself wondering, how can we get all of our leaders to hear this message - our children are listening. And they are learning from the hateful, divisive, ugly discourse, especially that from our leaders. Sadly, over recent years, we have watched as our society has grown coarser, and more divided. 

In just a few days, our Jewish community will kindle the lights of Chanukah, to remind us of the preciousness of freedom and to dispel the darkness in this darkest time of the year. The lights which our Christian neighbors have put up and on serve as well to dispel the darkness and bring warmth and joy. Kwanza lights and many others will glow in the coming days. But we need more than just light in these times of discourse, division, and darkness. We need to lift up our eyes and see one another. We need to raise up our voices with the hope that we can draw together rather than further shred the fabric of our nation.

I pray that whatever holiday you are celebrating in the days ahead, it brings you and your loved ones joy and light. And may we capture some of that joy and light and share it, spread it . . . for the children are listening!