This song was written on November 8, 2016 – the day after that year’s presidential election. Like many Americans, I was blindsided by the realization that we had elected a narcissistic demagogue whose campaign was built on lies and fascist rhetoric. And like many others, I was anxious about the direction the country seemed to be headed, and the racially-charged polarization that was about to become more extreme. It seemed like a cloak of darkness had fallen over the land.
This was my headspace as I sat on my front porch that afternoon and watched elementary school kids walking home from school. They were cheerily skipping along just like any other day, oblivious to the social upheaval that would soon permeate our society. I worried for these kids’ future. How would we explain to them that “this is not normal”, and that we would eventually get through this darkness and find our way to a better place?
“Who will teach them not to hate? How will they learn to mediate?
I’m releasing this song on Jan 19, the day before Joe Biden’s inauguration. Many folks who felt devastated by the 2016 election have held on to hope, and many have become motivated and proactive towards social change. And the effects of that motivation made a difference in the 2020 elections. Politics is a complicated beast- there are many opinions and few heroes. No one expects everything to magically get better overnight. But hopefully this country will soon find a way to unite and move forward together.
For the “Darkness In Disguise” video, I didn’t want to feature the orange man himself, so instead I just focused on the musicians, while including footage of a burning campfire.
Thanks to Andrew Hanmer for laying down the drums, and William Tonks for his dobro work. And as always, big thanks to Shelley & Karen from Whisper Kiss :-).
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DARKNESS IN DISGUISE
Darkness in disguise
Behind the lying eyes
There's nothing to believe
History received
Headaches deep into the night
Tearful, twisted and tight
Will there be any chance to make it right?
We've extinguished all the light
We felt this way before
So strange to feel it once more
Like a bad dream pounding at your door
Stinging like an open sore
How can we move on
When everybody's wrong?
We'll never get along
Always singing different songs
The children walking home from school
On a November afternoon
So full of hope, they'll learn to cope
But they're gonna grow up too soon
Who will teach them not to hate?
How will they learn to mediate?
When they're living in the divided states
Of America
Fallen from grace
Anger in the land
Stick it to the man
Bullied to the ground
Beaten when we're down
Where do we go from here?
Who will soothe our fear?
Falling down the stairs
Scatter everywhere
We don't mean to resent
But we feel misrepresented
We've been apprehended
And we can't keep pretending
That the story has an ending
Pinch me so I'll wake
Take away this ache
Shine the light on me
Shine it till we're free