Song Blog

Songs for Our Journey 56

1/27/2022

Bismillah Er Rahman Er Rahim
Those words are the first verse of the first chapter of the Quran, encouraging humans to bring our awareness to God/Love/Compassion/Mercy before we begin anything.

The translation for these words that I have learned in the Dances of Universal Peace is: "We begin in the name of Allah, most Merciful and Compassionate."

This week I came across Neil Douglas Klotz's translation widened my sense of the Bismillah, and I did my best to express that experience in this new song that came through. I believe the word remembering is not about remembering with our minds, but re-membering in our bodies and spirits what we know in our core.... that the essence of the One is in us and in all things. Here is Mr. Klotz's beautiful translation:

We begin by remembering
the sound and the feeling
of the One Being, the wellspring of Love
We affirm that the next thing we experience
shimmers with the light of the whole universe

We Begin by Remembering
melody © K Hannan 2022
words based on Neil Douglas Klotz's translation of the Bismillah

We begin by remembering
the sound and the feeling
of the One being
the wellspring of Love
the wellspring of One Love
your Love my Love

Bismillah Er Rachman Er Rahim
Bismillah Er Rachman Er Rahim

everything is shimmering
everything is shimmering
everything shimmers with
the light of your Heart

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Songs for Our Journey 55

5/26/2021

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In the early 1990's I wrote this song after reading about Guara Devi and the other brave women who stood up to loggers who had come to cut down forests nearby their town. The Chipko movement went on to spread across India and around the world.

Here's what Wikipedia says about the day when the villagers hugged the trees and saved their forest: Gaura Devi came to notice in 1974 when she was told by a young girl that local loggers were cutting the trees on 25 March. The men of Reni village had been tricked out of the village by news that the government was going to pay out compensation for land used by the army. And, on this situation, Gaura Devi and 27 other women decided to tackle the loggers. She confronted and challenged the men to shoot her instead of cutting down the trees and she described the forest as "Vandevta" (God of Jungle) and her maika (mother's house). Finally, with the help of other women they managed to halt the work of loggers by hugging the trees despite the abuse and threats of the armed loggers. The women of village and Gaura Devi kept guard of the trees that night and over the next three or four days other villages and villagers joined the action. The loggers left leaving the trees. After this incident, the Uttar Pradesh Government established a committee of experts to investigate the issue of felling of trees, and the lumber company withdrew its men from Reni. The committee stated that the Reni forest was an ecologically sensitive area and that no trees should be felled there. Thereafter the government of Uttar Pradesh placed a 10-year ban on all tree-felling in an area of over 1150 km

Chipko Andolan
© K Hannan 1991

In the town of Gopeshwar, in the north of India
The lumber company came, came to cut the forest down
When word got around, the people of the town, called a meeting right away
They said we will go, put our arms around the trees
They will not take these trees today

Chorus
Chipko Andolan
Don't cut this forest down
Living trees give us clean water and air
Living roots grow deep in the hills
And hold the soil there
Living roots grow deep in the hills
And hold the soil there

The lumber company men had brought with them a gun
They aimed it at the crowd, tried to frighten everyone
They said, "Foolish people, you do not understand
All the money that this forest will bring."
The people were scared, but they held on to the trees
And all together they began to sing

Chorus

One of the women there, very brave and very wise (Guara Devi)
She stepped up to the gun, she had fire in her eyes
She said, "You may call us fools, but we live upon this land
And we know what a forest is worth
And when your money's gone, these trees will still live on
Reaching up into the sky and down into the earth
Reaching up into the sky and down into the earth

Chorus

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Songs for Our Journey 54

12/24/2020

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Lal Ded is a beloved saint/mystic of North India who lived in the 14th Century. She sang her poems in the streets and sometimes left her clothing behind, hence she's sometimes known as Crazy Lalla. She was loved during her time, and she is loved today in India and around the world, because her beautiful poems speak directly and simply from her heart. This song is based on the lyrics of several translations of her poems.

We danced this song at my CD release in 2013 and some good friend took the picture above. I do not remember who that was, sorry to say! The lyrics are by the North Indian 14th Century woman mystic poet named Lal Ded Thanks so much to the band and singers on this cut who really brought it alive: vocals - Billy Coleman, Donovan Zimmerman,
Jude Casseday, Lauren Martell, Lea Clayton, Nick Alam, Ron Moss, Sheila Fleming
electric guitar lead - Raymond Smith; bass - Xopher Thurston; dumbec - Jude Casseday;
tamborine - Donovan Zimmerman; acoustic guitar and lead vocal- Kathleen Hannan

The Soul Is New
song, music and dance © Kathleen Hannan
lyrics from poetry of Lal Ded, beloved 14th century woman saint from North India from translations/interpretations by Coleman Barks, Kathleen Hannan, N. Kotru & R. Nagar

The soul is new and ever new again
Like the moon, like the moon
The soul is new and ever new again
Like the moon, like the moon
My teacher said just one thing,
"Live in the soul!"
When that was so I left my clothing by the road
And began to dance
clap: X X XX X X XX

The soul is new and ever new again
Like the moon, like the moon
The soul is new and ever new again
Like the moon, like the moon
And I have seen the ocean always creating
When I look deep into the truth of my own heart
Even I am new!!!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Feel free to use the dance instructions
and sheet music below to share this dance.

soul_is_new_dance_instructions.pdf
File Size:	53 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

soul_is_new_sheet_music.pdf
File Size:	31 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

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Songs for Our Journey 53

12/14/2020

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Depot Day
© K Hannan 1981 St Augustine, FL.

This is the saga of the Depot at Malaga St.
Hot food, cold food, good food that’s hard to beat
Hungry stomachs gather round for a special treat
Y’all come down to the Depot, it’s time to eat!

There’s art on the walls and on the ceiling
When you walk in the door you get a comfortable feeling
Baskets, and banners and flowers too
Let you know good folks have been passin’ through

Ned’s on the grill in his new straw hat
He’s cooking somethin’ good you can bet on that
And we’re all lookin’ cause he’s really bookin’
And when I say fast, I mean whizzin’ past

Oh Depot
Hooray hooray…
Another Depot Day

Out in back where the water swishes
Let’s say hooray to the washers of the dishes
Doris, Al and Loretta with smilin’ faces
Keep those dishes movin’ through on a regular basis
Cause it’s basic to the scene that the dishes be clean
And they wash ‘em by hand, cause there ain’t no machine

Lots of great people bring your food to you
Leslie, Al Jill, Tom and Doris too
Workin’ together in some tight situations
Usin’ uncanny powers of concentration
They make it look easy, they make it look fun
Well let’s give em a cheer when the day is done

Chorus

For the cakes and the breads give Joy the credit
Try Maureen’s lasagna, you won’t regret it
And James helps clean at the end of the day
When the customers have all gone on their way

And on every customer’s smilin’ face
You can see that the Depot is a magic place
Where hugs and smiles are freely given
Where people celebrate their daily livin’

Chorus
It’s a meeting place of friends & neighbors
It’s a circling energy of love’s best labors
And now this song is nearly through
Just want to say Depot, I love you

Thank you Depot
Hooray Hooray
Another Depot Day
***************************************

On Winter Solstice of 1980 I moved to St Augustine, Florida with my then partner Tom Santoni. We fell in love with the town, not in small part because of Ned Pollock and Joy Delia and all the other people who made the Malaga Street Depot restaurant shine. In the video above Ned & Joy tell some of the stories of the Depot. I wrote the song above for a Depot celebration in spring of 1981. Ned went on to run the Gypsy Cab Company in St Augustine, which is still winning awards for Ned's creative and oh so delicious cooking. And just tonight I found out that Ned is releasing a cookbook this week! I just ordered one. If you'd like some recipes of the kind of cooking you might wish you'll get to taste on a vacation in St Augustine, this is the book you are looking for. I just ordered one here: https://www.facebook.com/NedsKitchenCookbook

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November 19th, 2020

11/19/2020

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Here's a beautiful song to sing or dance as you walk along.

Pieces of Cloud
From Dances of Universal Peace repertoire
lyrics: Rumi
music: Susan Nechama Sheely and Oraea Varis

This is how I would die into the love I have for you
This is how I would die into the love I have for you

As pieces of cloud dissolve in sunlight
As pieces of cloud dissolve in sunlight

La Illaha Il Allah, La Illaha Il Allah
La Illaha Il Allah, La Illaha Il Allah

Hu Allah Hu, Hu Allah Hu
Hu Allah Hu, Hu Allah Hu

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Songs for Our Journey 51

11/18/2020

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Om Shanti November 2020

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Songs for Our Journey 50

10/28/2020

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I learned this song in around 1990 in a Goddess circle in Philadelphia. I didn't know the songwriter, Susan Arrow's name till many years later, thanks to the internet. Thanks so much to Susan for this wonderful song, which we sing in chorus both to call the elements and also to express our deep gratitude for Gaia, our Earth Mother. The recording is of a rehearsal for an interfaith celebreation a few years ago with Raymond Smith - guitar, Jude Casseday - tamborine, Xopher Thurston - bass, Diantha Rau - flute and myself. That was in the days when people had rehearsals in a room together! May those days come again before too long.

Thank You Mother Earth
© Susan Arrow

Thank you Mother Earth
Thank you Sister Water
Thank you for our birth
From your sons and daughters

Thank you Brother Sun
Thank you Air in motion
Thank you everyone
Earth, Wind, Fire and Ocean

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Songs for Our Journey 49

9/17/2020

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This song was born as fires burn throughout the western US and Canada, in a year that has been, as my partner and I like to say,
one pandemic after another. I know I am not alone in feeling a great deal of heartache, as well as a tremendous love for all beings on earth living through this challenging time. This song is dedicated to all of us, that we may meet our many feelings from our own compassionate heart. And get out the vote. Love, Kathleen

River Of Tears
© K Hannan 2020

Will I drown in this river?
River of tears, oh the tears
I have found there's no way out of here
And now I fall on the ground
And wait for the strength
To weep, and weep, and weep

Oh will I burn in this fire?
Fire of hate, oh the hate
And we have found there's no way out of here
And now we fall on the ground
And find the strength
To breathe, and breathe and breathe

And will I die in this ocean?
Ocean of love, oh the Love
For I have found there's no way out of here
And now I fall on the ground
And rest in the strength
Of love, of love, of love

And now we fall on the ground
And rest in the strength
Of love, of love, of love

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Songs for Our Journey 48

8/28/2020

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There is a youtube recording of the composer, Carolyn McDade, leading this song here. During 25 years of singing it, I have inadvertantly changed a note or two, and a bit of the timing, so please check this out for accuracy and to hear the feeling and timing of Carolyn leading the song.

I learned this powerful and healing song at a workshop with Carolyn McDade in North Carolina many years ago...probably 1995 or thereabouts. As I recall, the workshop consisted mostly of gathering around a piano and singing together for two or three days. A beautiful experience. Carolyn told us the story of when this Serpent of Life song arrived. She was at a meditation retreat on Cape Cod, and one day had not been comfortable sitting for a session. Instead Carolyn walked her meditation through the silence of a very foggy misty day. I have a vivid memory of imagining the scrub oaks and pines of Cape Cod brushing her face, and that she could barely stay on the path, it was so hard to see the ground. And suddenly she found herself singing this song, which arrived with no conscious work on her part. It came whole, out of the mist. At least that's the way I remember it these 25 years later; but of course I was not there in the mist with her. But that is the power of a story and a song! To learn more about Carolyn's work in spiritual feminist community song, please check out her website. I love moving as a snake or panther moves as I sing this song, and for me "her only garment" is fear.

I just found a recording of this song from 7 years ago, with Carolyn playing the keyboard and a group of women singing it. I realize listening that I had made some errors in a couple of notes...I sang it for so many years, I can understand how that could happen. But do listen to these women if you'd like to hear the subtle difference in the notes from my recording. The song is labeled
Serpent Song on that recording, but I am keeping the name
that I love for the song too.

Serpent Song
(Serpent of Life)
© Carolyn McDade

In the places that reek of impossiblity
The Serpent of Life coils
She crawls upon the swollen stone
Crawls upon the swollen stone
Crawls upon the swollen stone
And loosens her only garment

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Songs for Our Journey 47

8/18/2020

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This recording of Nur Julie Purcell's beautiful Love's Song
was made one evening at Bodies, Voices & Spirit Chorus.

Love's Song
© Nur Julie Purcell

Ya Rachman    Ya Rahim
The Sun and Moon of Love

Ya Ra-uf   Ya Rahim
The deepest Love within

Ya Hayyo     Ya Quayuum
Love is what remains

Plum Fiesta Fabric Millefiori Heart by Meg Hannan

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Songs for Our Journey 56

Songs for Our Journey 55

Songs for Our Journey 54

Songs for Our Journey 53

November 19th, 2020

Songs for Our Journey 51

Songs for Our Journey 50

Songs for Our Journey 49

Songs for Our Journey 48

Songs for Our Journey 47

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