by Tony Palmeri
March 23, 2001
Several weeks ago, I was shocked to see billboard notices on the UW Oshkosh campus announcing that Holly Near would be performing at UW-Fond du Lac's Prairie Theater on March 15. Near, a singer-activist for more than 30 years, was described in UW-Fond du Lac Sociology Professor Michael Nofz's program notes as " . . . quite simply, a rare and unique talent." Holly's voice is hard to describe; what word can be used to describe a voice that is often sexy, soulful, sad, joyful, and heart-wrenching at the same time? It is a voice that could stop a war--indeed, Holly's "Singing For Our Lives" has become one of the most popular rallying songs at peace gatherings around the globe.
As she recounts in her 1990 autobiography Fire in the Rain . . . Singer in the Storm , Holly's refusal to sing in a more "submissive" tone guaranteed that she would never be given serious consideration by a major record label. Add to that the fact that she accompanied Jane Fonda to Hanoi during the Vietnam War, became an open advocate of gay and lesbian rights, participated in rallies for and protests against a variety of causes and issues, and refused to compromise her ideals and you have someone who has been effectively blacklisted from mainstream radio for her entire career. Holly's web site biography only gives a small taste of the richness of her contributions to the world.
Now in her early 50s, Holly is more engaging than ever. Accompanied only by pianist Janet Hood, Holly's Fond du Lac concert featured a mix of storytelling, new and old songs, and the fiercely gentle (how's that for an oxymoron?) consciousness raising that has become her trademark. For people interested in social justice, Holly's concerts provide a kind of validation of their efforts and a recharging of the activist batteries so that one can continue to participate in the never-ending struggle for peace.
Especially appropriate given that March in National Women's History Month, before Holly took the stage the audience was treated to a brief documentary film by Kay Weaver and Martha Wheelock called "One Fine Day." As Holly sings the title song, the film features snippets of the following movers and shakers: Julia Ward Howe, Louisa May Alcott, Lucy Stone, Margaret Fuller, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Alice Wright, Emily Dickinson, Sojourner Truth, Rowena Owen, Maria Mitchell, Marie Curie, Harriet Hosmer, Chansonetta Emmons, Hattie Tom, Willa Cather, Calamity Jane, Harriet Tubman, Natalie Barney, Romaine Brooks, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas, Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan, Marian Anderson, Georgia O'Keefe, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Emma Goldman, Emmeline Pankhurst, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jeanette Rankin, Carrie Chapman Catt, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Sally Ride, Diana Ross, Billie Jean King, Sarah Caldwell, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Lilly Tomlin, Margaret Mead, Golda Meir, Alice Paul, Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisolm, Greta Weitz, Martina Navratilova, Kay Weaver, Harlem Dance Company, Mary Van Ness, Gloria Irizarry, Bella Abzug, and Geraldine Ferraro.
Isn't it sad that, unless one is a history fanatic, only the entertainers and sports figures are familiar names on that list? What does that say about our educational system?
During the concert, Holly treated the audience to a mix of old and new songs. "Change of Heart," one of Holly's "signature songs," provides a good example of the moral and uplifting themes of her music:
CHANGE OF HEART
BY H. NEAR, J. SCOTT & D. NAKAMOTO
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME WHEN I WITNESS SOMEONE'S COURAGE
THEY MAY NOT KNOW I'M WATCHING, I MAY NOT LET THEM KNOW THAT
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME THAT WILL LAST ME FOR A LIFE TIME
TO FILL ME WHEN I'M EMPTY, AND ROCK ME WHEN I'M LOW
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME ANYTIME THERE'S SOMEONE SINGING
ALL THE SONGS I'VE NEVER FORGOTTEN, LET OUR VOICES SING THEM STRONG
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME ANYTIME THERE'S SOMEONE STANDING
FOR THE RIGHT TO BE COMPLETELY ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE ARE
CHORUS: THERE'S A CHANGE OF HEART
ANYTIME THERE'S SOMEONE COUNTING
ALL THE LIVES THAT WON'T BE THROWN AWAY
THERE'S A CHANGE OF HEART
ANYTIME YOU JOIN THE CHOIR, BE A VOICE UP ON THE MOUNTAIN
OR SEE A FIRE...IN THE RAIN
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME WHEN MY ARMS ARE HELD WIDE OPEN
FEAR AND HATE ARE SET ASIDE AND ONLY LOVE REMAINS
SOMETHING CHANGES IN ME AND I FEEL A DEEP EMOTION
WHILE THE ONES WHO OFFER HELP REPLACE THE ONES THAT JUST COMPLAIN
CHORUS
DO NOT FORGET THE CHILDREN THEY ARE THE SINGERS IN THE STORM
AND WHEN THEIR HEARTS ARE THREATENED, WELL A FIRE IS BOUND TO START
IT WAKES US UP AT MIDNIGHT, WE FEEL AN ANCIENT PAIN
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT LOVE DIRECTS THE FLAME
CHORUS
© 1993 HEREFORD MUSIC
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Holly Near rarely goes into a city, plays a concert, and leaves. Indeed, when I went to see her perform in LaCrosse about 7 or 8 years ago, she had spent several days on the UW LaCrosse campus helping to establish a rape crisis center. In Fond du Lac, she spent the morning in a workshop with music students. After the concert, she came out to meet her fans.
Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was not one of the women mentioned in the "One Fine Day" film, but I think a quote from her best sums up a Holly Nearian view of the world: "Pray for the dead, but fight like hell for the living." The main weapon in the fight is LOVE. Like Mother Jones, Holly understands, as she sings in "Foolish Notion," that "the greatest warriors are the ones who stand for peace."