People
      think
      rock
      and
      roll
      is
      dead.
     
     
      Not
      all
      of
      you.
      Some
      of
      you
      think
     
     
      it's
      humming
      along
      nicely.
      Others
     
     
      have
      managed
      to
      get
      cynical,
      read
     
     
      it
      the
      last
      rites
      and
      have
      dug
      a
     
     
      quaint
      little
      hole
      for
      the
      Revolution.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eff
      that.
     
     
      Lesson
      #
      One:
      Art
      is
      eternal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Like
      you
      didn't
      know.
      As
      long
      as
     
     
      there's
      still
      a
      line-up
      around
      the
     
     
      block
      to
      take
      a
      look
      at
      the
      ceiling
      of
     
     
      a
      church
      in
      Rome,
      then
      there's
     
     
      always
      going
      to
      be
      a
      backbeat.
     
     
      Some
      may
      mutter
      that
      comparing
     
     
      the
      Sistine
      Chapel
      to
      the
      Rolling
     
     
      Stones
      of
      1970,
      the
      simplest
      defini-
     
     
      tion
      of
      rock
      and
      roll
      |
      can
      offer,
      is
      a
     
     
      kin
      to
      relieving
      myself
      on
      the
      cor-
     
     
      nerstone
      of
      the
      local
      parish,blas-
     
     
      phemy.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      great
      jazz
      musician
      once
      told
     
     
      Lester
      Bangs
      that
      when
      the
      jam
     
     
      was
      truly
      on,
      the
      musicians
      weren't
     
    
   
   
    
     
      creating
      the
      music,
      it
      was
      simply.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      flowing
      through
      them.
      True
      music
      is
     
     
      the
      sound
      of
      the
      soul,
      a
      pure
     
    
   
   
    
     
      expression
      of
      humankind,
      and
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our
      spiritual
      excess.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Try
      and
      tell
      me
      rock
      and
      roll
      isn't
     
     
      art.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There's
      art
      in
      the
      notes
      on
      the
      page
     
     
      and
      the
      chicks
      in
      the
      front.
      Every
     
     
      word
      to
      Jumping
      Jack
      Flash
      is
      as
     
     
      much
      art
      as
      the
      two
      guys
      throwing
     
    
   
   
    
     
      punches
      in
      the
      back
      row,
      reeking
      of
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      filterless
      Marlboros
      and
      malt
      liquor,
     
     
      simultaneously
      fuelled
      by
      and
      obliv-
     
     
      ious
      to
      what's
      happening
      on
      the
     
     
      Stage
      a
      few
      hundred
      feet
      away.
      The
     
     
      Spirit
      of
      rock
      and
      roll
      lives
      on.
      It's
     
     
      locked
      in
      the
      vinyl
      grooves
      of
      the
     
     
      Classics,
      and
      continues
      to
      grow
      with
     
     
      each
      new
      artist
      that
      succeeds
      in
     
     
      Spite
      of
      the
      industry,
      getting
      their
     
     
      message
      to
      those
      of
      us
      desperate
     
     
      to
      listen.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      don't
      tell
      me
      rock
      and
      roll
      is
     
     
      dead.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      You
      may
      or
      may
      not
      know
      that
      rock
      .
     
    
   
   
    
     
      music
      has
      almost
      saved
      the
      world
     
     
      Once.
      Please
      suffer
      through
      the
     
     
      irony
      with
      me.
      The
      same
      machine
     
     
      that
      has
      pushed
      rock
      music
      to
      the
     
     
      very
      brink
      of
      insignificance
      can
      also
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Where's
      Lester?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      claim
      responsibility
      for
      helping
      us
     
     
      all
      forget
      why
      it
      was
      relevant
      in
      the
     
     
      first
      place.
     
    

    
     
      Peace
      and
      love
      in
      a
      haze
      of
     
     
      drug
      use
      and
      meaningless
      experi-
     
     
      mentation.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eff
      that.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lesson
      #
      Two:
     
     
      around
      again.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It's
      coming
      back
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vietnam/Irag,
      Nixon/Bush:
      they
      did-
     
     
      n't
      belong
      in
      Vietnam,
      and
      they
      cer-
     
     
      tainly
      don't
      belong
      in
      Iraq.
      Nixon
     
     
      bumbled
      in
      the
      public
      but
      by
      all
     
     
      accounts
      had
      some
      savvy.
      Bush
     
     
      has
      been
      outed
      as
      a
      complete
     
     
      imbecile
      by
      one
      of
      his
      closest
      advi-
     
     
      sors
      who
      could
      take
      no
      more
      of
      it.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It's
      worse
      this
      time.
      You
      don't
      think
     
     
      this
      matters
      to
      you?
      Who
      do
      you
     
     
      think
      owns
      70%
      of
      the
      world's
     
     
      measurable
      wealth.
      It
      isn't
      me.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Earth
      is
      becoming
      more
      global
     
     
      by
      the
      day.
      We've
      got
      no
      Great
     
     
      Wars
      to
      fight,
      but
      AIDS
      in
      Africa,
     
     
      that's
      on
      us,
      epidemic
      in
      the
      far
     
     
      East,
      that's
      on
      us,
      powerful
      nations
     
     
      imposing
      their
      will
      on
      the
      rest
      of
      the
     
     
      world,
      you
      better
      believe
      that's
      on
     
     
      us,
      and
      the
      quicker
      we
      realize
      the
     
     
      better.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Abuse
      of
      power
      is
      nothing
      new
     
     
      among
      our
      kind.
      They
      taught
      me
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      science
      class
      that
      the
      big
      apes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      used
      to
      demand
      bananas
      from
      the
     
     
      smaller
      ones.
      They
      also
      taught
      that
     
     
      one
      action
      has
      a
      measurable
      effect
     
     
      on
      everything
      surrounding
      that
     
     
      action.
      It's
      ecology,
      Marvin
      Gaye
     
     
      knew
      it,
      and
      it's
      time
      we
      learn.
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Someone's
      got
      to
      stop
      it.
      It's
      a
      job,
     
     
      bigger
      then
      any
      democrat.
      Yo
     
     
      have
      no
      idea
      what
      kind
      of
      irre
     
     
      versible
      damage
      Bush
      has
      done
     
     
      It's
      not
      only
      Iraq,
      the
      environment
      ¢
     
     
      and
      international
      _
      relation
     
     
      throughout
      the
      world
      are
      crum
     
     
      bling.
      It's
      time
      for
      a
      Revolution.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      They
      tell
      you
      Woodstock
      didn
     
     
      matter.
      They
      threw
      its
      name
      o
     
     
      two
      rock
      festivals
      just
      to
      ensur
     
     
      that
      we
      were
      totally
      jaded
      on
      the’
     
     
      facts.
      The
      first
      Woodstock
      came
     
     
      about
      in
      a
      matter
      of
      days.
      Thre
     
     
      hundred
      thousand
      people
      arrived
     
     
      virtually
      out
      of
      nowhere.
      Whe
     
     
      the
      organizers
      were
      asked
      wha
     
     
      they
      thought
      of
      the
      gate
      crashing
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      merely
      smiled
      and
      announced
     
     
      that
      it
      was
      all
      happening
      as
      it
      was
     
     
      supposed
      to.
      This
      wasn't
      about
     
     
      money,
      it
      was
      about
      Revolution,
      the
     
     
      backdrop:
      rock
      and
      roll.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      When
      was
      the
      last
      time
      you
      saw
     
     
      300,000
      young
      people
      at
      some-
     
     
      thing
      that
      wasn't
      washed
      out
      in
      a
     
     
      sea
      of
      corporate
      logos?
      When
      was
     
     
      the
      last
      time
      you
      saw
      that
      many
     
     
      people
      support
      an_
      anti-establish-
     
     
      ment
      voice?
      Is
      it
      possible
      that
      our
     
     
      governments
      are
      just
      that
      good,
     
     
      guiding
      us
      deftly
      and
      with
      the
     
     
      utmost
      savvy
      through
      even
      the
     
     
      toughest
      of
      times?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Eff
      that.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lesson
      #3:
      The
      Truth
      will
      set
      you
     
     
      free.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you're
      old
      enough
      to
      pay
      taxes
     
     
      then
      you're
      old
      enough
      to
      protest.
     
    

    
     
      The
      pages
      of
      campus
      newspapers
     
     
      across
      the
      country
      have
      seen
      much
     
     
      debate
      on
      student
      apathy.
      Of
     
     
      course
      students
      are
      apathetic,
     
     
      we're
      at
      school.
      We
      want
      to
      get
      the
     
     
      hell
      out
      of
      there,
      get
      drunk,
      get
     
     
      high,
      get
      laid,
      and
      somehow
      return
     
     
      to
      coherence
      by
      Monday
      morning.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We're
      led
      to
      rally
      against
      student
     
     
      debt.
      That's
      not
      a_
      cause.
     
     
      Knowledge
      is
      the
      most
      valuable
     
     
      currency
      we
      have
      as
      a
      species.
     
     
      Sure
      it
      would
      be
      nice
      if
      it
      was
      a
      few
     
     
      dollars
      cheaper,
      but
      we'd
      just
      blow
     
     
      the
      extra
      cash
      on
      12
      packs,
      dime
     
     
      bags
      and
      double
      cheeseburgers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      problem
      isn't
      paying
      for
      it,
      the
     
     
      problem
      is
      taking
      our
      education,
     
     
      crawling
      in
      a
      hole
      and
      pretending
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      March
      2,
      2004
      page
      15
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘bravery
      in
      rock
      and
      roll.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      world
      isn't
      happening
      around
     
     
      us.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      is
      no
      area
      of
      the
      Earth
      as
     
     
      privileged
      as
      the
      Western
      hemi-
     
     
      sphere's
      Northeast.
      That
      privilege
     
     
      results
      in
      the
      bullshit
      you've
      been
     
     
      fed:
      get
      educated,
      get
      a
      job,
      gét
      a
     
     
      wife,
      get
      a
      mortgage
      and
      an
      RRSP.
     
     
      That's
      cowardly,
      it's
      the.
      easy
      way
     
     
      out.
      You
      have
      to
      cut
      through
      that
     
     
      and
      decide
      your
      own
      direction,
      find
     
     
      your
      own
      Truth.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There's
      bravery
      in
      protest,
      there's
      a
     
     
      There's
      a
     
     
      war
      going
      on
      everyday,
      and
      it
      will
     
     
      take
      knowledge
      and
      great
      acts
      of
     
     
      bravery
      for
      good
      to
      prevail
      over
      the
     
     
      evils
      of
      greed
      and
      ignorance.
      |
      don't
     
     
      want
      to
      march
      a
      placard
      to
      the
     
     
      office
      of
      some
      provincial
      minister
     
     
      who
      will
      feed
      me
      the
      same
      line
     
     
      they've
      given
      the
      last
      five
      times
      a
     
     
      visit
      was
      paid
      to
      them.
      This
      is
      big-
     
     
      ger
      than
      that.
      I'm
      not
      after
      lip
      serv-
     
     
      ice,
      I'm
      in
      to
      Revolution.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It's
      the
      music
      that
      is
      eternal.
      The
     
     
      same
      songs.
      of
      protest
      still
      apply.
     
     
      The
      same
      messages
      ring,
      because
     
     
      it's
      Truth.
      Much
      of
      today's
      music,
     
     
      like
      today's
      government,
      ring
      with
     
     
      messages
      designed
      to
      appease
     
     
      and
      subdue.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Have
      integrity
      in
      your
      music,
      and
     
     
      integrity
      in
      yourself.
      Not
      the
      kind
     
    

    
     
      of
      integrity
      you
      get
      from
      putting
      on
      a
     
     
      suit,
      the
      kind
      that
      comes
      from
     
     
      doing
      something
      you
      know
      is
      right.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Demand
      Truth,
      accept
      nothing
      less,
     
     
      and
      if
      necessary
      revolt.
      Eff
      ‘em
      all.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It's
      up
      to
      us,
      there's
      no
      other
      way.