Willie Nelson

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Hear ”A Peaceful Solution” by Sky Nelson

Sky Nelson pleasures us with a tasty boogie-woogie piano style version of A Peaceful Solution. This version makes you want to get up and dance.

With band member Anne Johnson to sing backup Sky Nelson’s A Peaceful Solution acquires even more of an upbeat gospel or blues feel. But instead of the blue’s traditional sadness and sorrow this boogie-woogie treatment gives you happy feet.

A Peaceful Solution by Sky Nelson shows the influence of music played in honky tonks in the American South a hundred years ago. This great tradition celebrates just being alive regardless of the other circumstances in your life.

Sky Nelson follows in the steps of Texas pianist George W. Thomas, Clarence Williams, Professor Longhair, Pinetop Smith, Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson, Meade Anderson “Lux” Lewis and Marcia Ball.

Lyrics to “A Peaceful Solution”
(by Willie Nelson as edited and arranged by Sky Nelson)

There is a peaceful solution. It’s called a peace revolution.
Now let’s take back America.

There’s a war and we’re in it, ain’t no one gonna win it.
So let’s take back America.

And when the war is done and ain’t nobody won
let’s remember how we got here so it’s the last time we ever come

It’s a dream, so believe it.
Now get ready to receive it.
And let’s take back America.

And when the war is done and ain’t nobody won
let’s remember how we got here so it’s the last time we ever come,

Let’s Make an inner resolution
for a peaceful revolution
And let love Save America
And let love Save America
And let love Save America

Hear ”A Peaceful Solution” by Sky Nelson

* * * * * Artist’s Statement * * * * *

How did I come to care about peace? I have been passionate about peace since I was very little. My parents divorced early, and I always felt (maybe compulsively!) drawn to make peace between all the members of my wonderful motley family. At school, I felt compassionate towards people less fortunate than me, and it was always important to me that no one was left out. I felt that I could never be completely at ease or contented while others suffer, and that we are all each other’s responsibility.

Let’s see, peaceful solutions…One peaceful solution I envision is that the world will increase in peacefulness, as more people know how to be happy. When I am happy, I do fewer things that cause pain to others. Even dire enemies can share moments of peace when they laugh, since laughter is common to everyone, and can bring us together in challenging circumstances. Probably The biggest realization I’ve had recently was seeing that the best, and perhaps only way to affect the change I would like to see in the world is to make myself happy.

I was a physics and math teacher for five years, and left that in June 2006 to pursue music full-time, something I have dreamed of doing all my life. I’m also passionate about physics, but I have a sense in my gut that I speak most honestly through my music, so that is what I have to follow. The best thing I feel I can offer to the world is a constructive and compassionate attitude. By doing what I love and believe in for a career, I feel more consistently happy and compassionate than ever before. I still feel moments of attachment and anger, of course, and often fear that I won’t get what I want. Yet it seems that these are the very things that are creating unrest in the world, so by trying to understand and diffuse them in myself, I hope that I am contributing to peace in the world.

Another aspect of this idea is really examining my human tendency to want to be ‘right’. It seems that often the winners in our political elections are those who are the most certain of what they say, whether it is accurate or not. The song Space for Uncertainty was inspired by the last US presidential election, wanting to create more space for the right questions, more space for complex issues, and less demand for easy answers.

As a teacher, I often saw parents who were certain they were right, and sometimes isolated themselves from their kids because of it. It seems younger generations sometimes don’t feel understood by their elders, and so respect is lost between the generations, and important guidance in both directions doesn’t happen. I remember the stories of a couple of students of mine whose parents could not understand their lifestyle choices, and ultimately put so much pressure on them to be different that the relationships broke apart. I think it’s much more important to stay connected in our community than to be right.

In changing myself to be a happier person, and not trying to change others, I hope to be able to affect the world positively. “Think for myself, do what I love, and the world changes.”

My main piano influences are Dr. John, George Winston, Keith Jarrett, Professor Longhair, and Herbie Hancock.

www.SkyNelson.com

Hear ”A Peaceful Solution” by Sky Nelson

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Tags: Arts, Peace

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