Eergisteren overleed Paul Kantner, medeoprichter van Jefferson Airplane. Van alle bands die met de counterculture van de jaren ’60 geassocieerd worden, was de Airplane misschien wel de meest politiserende. Van de latere incarnatie als Jefferson Starship ben ik nooit onder de indruk geweest, maar het werk van Surrealistic Pillow (1967) tot en met Volunteers (1969) is klassiek. Aanbevolen: Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing At Baxter’s, Crown of Creation en Volunteers. Beluister de songs hieronder en vertel me dan nog eens dat punk in 1976 uit de lucht kwam vallen – we are forces of chaos and anarchy.
Kantner schreef Volunteers samen met bandgenoot Marty Balin. We Can Be Together is een compositie van Kantner. De tekst is overgenomen van de anarchistische groep Up Against the Wall, Motherfucker, die eind jaren ’60 de New Yorkse Lower East Side onveilig maakte. Hun werk kun je downloaden bij het onvolprezen libcom.
Look what’s happening out in the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Hey I’m dancing down the streets
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Ain’t it amazing all the people I meet
Got a revolution Got to revolution
One generation got old
One generation got soul
This generation got no destination to hold
Pick up the cry
Hey now it’s time for you and me
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Come on now we’re marching to the sea
Got a revolution Got to revolution
Who will take it from you
We will and who are we
We are volunteers of America
We can be together
Ah you and me
We should be together
We are all outlaws in the eyes of America
In order to survive we steal cheat lie forge fred hide and deal
And your obscene policies are dangerous dirty violent and dumb
We should be together
Come on all you people standing around
Our life’s too fine to let it die
We should be together
All your private property is
Target for your enemy
And your enemy is
We
We are forces of chaos and anarchy
Everything they say we are we are
And we are very
Proud of ourselves
Up against the wall
Up against the wall fred (motherfucker)
Tear down the walls
Tear down the walls
Come on now together
Get it on together
Everybody together
We should be together
We should be together my friends
We can be together
We will be
We must begin here and now
A new continent of earth and fire
Come on now gettin higher and higher
Tear down the walls
Tear down the walls
Tear down the walls
Won’t you try
