A song as protest, a song as resistance

Last Friday, this article in the newspaper pointed to where some followers of Gandhian philosophy exist – in far Norway ! They may not even be aware of how much they have in common with the Mahatma’s way of thought, but their actions sure echo his philosophy.

In a fitting reply to gunman Anders Behring Breivik (the one responsible for the massacre at a youth camp last year), who during his trial claimed that the children’s song ‘Children of the Rainbow’ was being used by ‘cultural Marxists’ to brainwash young children, tens of thousands gathered to sing the song in squares across Norway. The song celebrates the type of multicultural society Breivik has said he despised.

As the newspaper article says, ‘Shocked by Breivik’s lack of remorse for his massacre, Norwegians by and large have decided the best way to confront him is by demonstrating their commitment to everything he loathes.’ Not by calling for his immediate execution, not by wondering why millions are being spent on keeping a proven killer alive for a trial, but by demonstrating their commitment to everything he loathes and ensuring that his way of thinking does not win. Their reaction to Breivik was made even more fitting by having the singer Lillebjoern Nilsen lead the singing in Oslo’s Youngstorget square; Nilsen wrote the song in Norwegian and had been singled out by Breivik as, ‘…..a Marxist who infiltrated the cultural sector, (who) writes music that is used to brainwash children’. A ‘moonh tod jawaab’ as we say in Hindi !

Watch videos of the unusual protest here and here. And here’s the link to the Pete Seeger song  ‘My Rainbow Race’ on which the Norwegian song is based, have given the lyrics to the song below.

My Rainbow Race

By Pete Seeger

One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore

One earth so green and round, who could ask for more ?

And because I love you I’ll give it one more try

To show my rainbow race, it’s too soon to die.

Some folks want to be like an ostrich

Bury their heads in the sand

Some hope that plastic dreams

Can unclench all those greedy hands

Some hope to take the easy way

Poisons, bombs, they think we need ‘em

Don’t you know you can’t kill all the unbelievers ?

There’s no shortcut to freedom.

One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore

One earth so green and round, who could ask for more ?

And because I love you I’ll give it one more try

To show my rainbow race, it’s too soon to die.

Go tell, go tell all the little children

Tell all the mothers and fathers too

Now’s our last chance to learn to share

What’s been given to me and you.

One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore

One earth so green and round, who could ask for more ?

And because I love you I’ll give it one more try

To show my rainbow race, it’s too soon to die.

One blue sky above us, one ocean lapping all our shore

One earth so green and round, who could ask for more ?