" It is not the water in the fields that brings true development, rather, it is water in the eyes, or compassion for fellow beings, that brings about real development. "
The irony is that Joni Mitchell never made it to Woodstock!
Her agent insisted she rather stay with other commitments! Joni Mitchell was watching Woodstock unfold on TV in her hotel room. She realised the Symbolic Moment - the Great Western Revolution was expressing itself. And she could not contain herself, the Muse within her spilled out spontaneously. Her lyrics are sheer genius, poetry, set in the context of the Vietnam War. Yes, the Hippies did drugs besides waving the Peace Sign. Yes, there were many aspects that were unhealthy if not negative. Yes, 500 000 swooped upon Yasgur's Farm and turned it into a disaster area. But it was peaceful. And they did smash down myriads of oppressive taboos and helped to set the foundations for our Brave New Green World.
Perhaps they did as much as any other, if not more, to advance the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road When I asked him where are you going This he told me I'm going down to Yasgur's farm * Think I'll join a rock 'n roll band I'll camp out on the land I''ll try and set my soul free
We are stardust We are golden And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden
Then can I walk beside you I have come here to lose the smog And I feel just like a cog in something turning Well maybe it's the time of year Or maybe it's the time of man And I don't know who I am But life's for learning
We are stardust We are golden And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden
By the time I got to Woodstock They were half a million strong Everywhere there were songs and celebration And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky Turning into butterflies Above our nation
We are stardust We are golden And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden