Musician Jeff Rowe wrote a song called “A Thousand Ways” for Occupy Boston, and left this note on his website:
Hey guys… as you may know, I’ve been getting involved with the Occupy Boston movement… to me this is the most important social movement of our generation and I want very much to help in any way possible… which brings me to this.
I wrote a quirky little song and recorded it this morning to sell for one dollar via bandcamp… It’s totally exclusive and will never be recorded again… 100% of the download money will go to support the basic needs of the hundred of people that are now living in Dewey Square in Boston… water, food, winter clothing etc…
I could use your help to tweet,post and whatever other avenue you could use to help me make some loot for a cause that is much greater than ourselves…
love you guys!!
here it is…
—-Jeff
You can buy it to donate to the cause, or just listen to it on his site.
35 Responses to “Jeff Rowe Writes Us A Song”
Good job keeping the people from selling their food at the food trucks on the greenway this weekend. That is their job and you made it cancelled. Who’s side are you hippies on anyways? Just go away.
“Gonna find a thousand ways to fuck you back”? This song is one person’s opinion and doesn’t represent the voice of the people. It doesn’t belong on the front page of the Occupy Boston website. Can we get a temperature check please?
temp is kinda low for me
Seriously… Hey, I heard you guys get a lot of hits on the front page of this site, which leaderless non-hierarchical entity should I get in touch with to get some promotion for my new musical project I’m trying to get off the ground? I’m a rapper and an indigenous person and I will donate all proceeds (no, seriously, you can trust me) from my new song “Wall Street Is Gay” to the cause. I’m selling downloads for two dollars so I can help twice as much.
Hey you know, i like it — it’s quirky , funny . Sorry for being so negative on it. I can’t wait till a thousand songs bloom out of this movement. Each one different
I agree this does not help the cause using “fuck you back” – good song just not the righ words to help the cause. How about “Gonna find a thousand ways to expose the truth”
please take this song off occcupyboston.com it’s a man’s opinion and poorly represents the people.
Hey all, I removed the song link, but it is newsworthy that we had a song written for us by a local musician, and as we’re in favor of free speech of all kinds, I think it’s valid to leave an announcement on the site. Temperature check? – a.
Actually, I have encountered many examples of OB participants trying to censor my speech when I down at Dewey sq. You all seem to believe in Free Speech only on your own terms.
The mindset of the participants of OB matches the mindset of the CEO’s of the corporations they are protesting: If we want it, it cannot be wrong.
There’s a difference between censorship and critiquing. Do you have a specific example? Did someone actually tell you to stop saying something or holding a specific sign, or was it more like a conversation that criticized your message? I’m asking because i really would like to know.
Dear OccupyBoston,
It seems that you are one of the organizers. Someone had a valid question on these blogs. The weather is getting colder. Are you guys ONLY depending on camping in tents OR – is more being done? I am asking because I blogged and blogged and so many bloggers who are supporters are asking for the same thing…Some focus, some organization, some planning, some strategies and providing those who can’t be there in person with a way to help. The only thing we got is a suggestion to post on various sites. THAT IS NOT EFFECTIVE !!
This is so frustrating so this is the last time I offer my help. I wrote to the volunteer email , to the media email to a personal email address of that Eaton guy who seemed to be collecting money for bail. Some of the BLOGS / REPLIES had some volume – now that is dwindling. Folks don’t care about a song. They care about the economy. Look at the number of replies in the blogs. It seems like the song just doesn’t cut it. It feels like the movement is already losing steam. It is disappointing…I think a lot of people including the ones who are working and can’t be there in person would have supported the movement. I sure tried. But unfortunately it seems like a missed opportunity. Here is the email you can write to – I have some suggestions for mobilizing people towards to write to representatives using email campaigns (do you guys collect the emails of your supporters or is that a missed opportunity too?)
occupybos.suporter@gmail.com
I hope someone writes to you, anonymous — in fact i guess i will do that right now even though i am not on any working committee. I would ask you though to realize that people are working full out and are pretty busy and you have to cut some slack, and realize that on a practical level, the people who go to the meetings are going to get their voices hear more effectively — although there has been some discussion on this very topic — about making it more inclusive for people who can’t come to the meetings. I don’t know the answer, except saying it’s not perfect, and there is also a Wiki site — in fact today is collecting ideas for a Statement of Purpose. But it’s a lot happening .. so please keep trying. It also may be that your ideas don’t resonate with the people who received them, so maybe you can find some other people or organize this project yourself and enact it — that’s how the assembly seems to handle some things — if you really think something is a good idea, then vote with your own effort and time, as well as anyone else who is finds it compelling.
Please post some CALL TO ACTION on the home page to mobilize people. Supporters who are blogging on the OccupyBoston blogs (ZERO IMPACT) should spend their time more effectively. Mobilize them to support the movement through targeted campaigns – email/write political representatives, media outlets whatever, but one targeted campaign at a time for ex. TODAY start writing to Menino. In a couple of weeks it can be another campaign targeting someone else. Bloggers can go ahead and blog elsewhere – where it would have more external views and possibly more impact: on the CNN Blog.
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/10/why-occupy-wall-street-is-not-the-tea-party-of-the-left/#comment-126995
CALL TO ACTION TO ALL OCCUPY BOSTON SUPPORTERS – Answer on CNN Blog – “Why Occupy Wall Street is not the Tea Party of the Left”
The power is in numbers – show the world that we have a large number of supporters. I would recommend you as organizers send a request to all your other occupy movements contacts have them) to mobilize all their supporters to express their support on ONE external media site. If not the one below – at least one site where EVERYONE can express support in one place.
The power is in numbers and folks are posting a few posts here and there on various blogs which has no impact.
KUDOS to the above post!!! I hope you do not miss the opp. to open dialogue with the person who wrote that.
They did contact me and if you wish to remain anonymous yet share ideas, please provide an ‘anonymous’ email address like that too. I think they just need a bit of help. It shouldn’t be so difficult if the direction is taken from the mothership over there in NY. They have made use of an online campaign to stop the closing of Zuccotti park. With 300,000 petitions signed (I was one of them although I am in Boston, not NY).
http://www.civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?rc=homepage (just an example…)
We should all petition to stop the influence of corporations on politicians. It’s time that there is influence in the opposite direction from politicians on corporations.
So, someone wrote a song, that you now don’t want to share because you see negative feedback about some of the lyrics? So you took it down.
But you want to highlight that someone took the time to write it? What a slap.
here’s a song for you
Rock my head up and down, hit the spliff then im coughin
all the wall streeter’s can watch us occupy here in Boston
Here for different reasons, but the message is all the same
We’re the 99 percent and we’re tired of this game
Our voices will be heard, all power for the people
we are shouting from the mud pit of dewey square and the copley square steeple
but no one wants to hear it because they are working 9-5
holding on to their jobs in a recession just trying to stay alive
By the time the cold sets in and the snow is on the ground
We’ll have a formulated plan, and brand new sound
it wasn’t “wall streets” fault at all, not yours and not your mama’s
it was the morons on capitol hill, especially that skinny fat cat obama
there will be many more songs. hopefully one’s that are less spiteful and have more tact. I say let the man get the word out about his song on his own via twitter, facebook, etc.
I like the song!
But instead of the money going to help out the “movement” maybe it should pay for all the police overtime or perhaps the free electicity and trash removal the city is providing at the tax payers expense.
I never went to college thought it was all part of the “evil” machine. I support a family and work hard everyday and don’t blame anyone else for the path my life has travelled.
Never be jealous and don’t take life so seriously we’ll all be dust in a thousand years.
I have set up providing 99 percent auto stickers at cost and need help with promotions and any ideas to get the word out
50 cent for every sticker will be given to OWS and occupy boston
http://www.go-99percent.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4hTD2tOiSM
Thanks Vince
Anonymous is right! You could do so much more now, while people are still enthusiastic about the cause. WE NEED A CALL FOR ACTION!
Also, I find communication to be lacking. Not everybody can attend the GAs which, truthfully speaking, are VERY long and often repetitive. Establish channels of communication with a wider audience, keep the people who are not physically there in the loop and let them offer their suggestions and their help. There are a lot of support out there for you.
Thank You Jim (and “U”) up above in this blog – why can’t these organizers do what NY is doing?
EXAMPLE – signing an onlline petition to Menino like the one to Bloomber.
“These protesters have been standing up for all of us against corporate greed on Wall Street and the corporate takeover of our democracy. It’s time we stand with them. Please join me in urgently signing a petition to Mayor Bloomberg to keep him from evicting the protesters. Just use the link below.
http://civic.moveon.org/defend_ows/?r_by=-16038318-2UYDqDx&rc=defend_ows.confemail.g1
“
Ugh, you’re both still correct! Is anyone listening?
GA’s are admirable in theory but frustratingly inefficient for those of us who LITERALLY cannot afford to put our lives on hold. Millions of us are behind the cause and you’re going to lose steam if we are not heard too.
Petitions, targeted campaigns, and the like are necessary. I am all about giving this group the benefit of the doubt, leaving MUCH more time for developing concrete goals, etc. BUT the time has now come to start doing just a bit more than making noise. Let’s hear some systematic political ideas; we need to get behind some effective and relevant pieces of legislation; we need to communicate with our representatives. We even need to make a point to stop shunning police.
At least OWS is only 200 miles away so when this joke fizzles out we can still go down there. It will carry on the grand tradition of Boston being less cool than New York and siphoning off our most talented residents.
That song is terrible. Why don’t you guys wake up early (like the 1% who have real jobs) and try to talk the people walking from South Station to work (you know, the 99% contributing to society). I’ve been in Dewey Square at 8:00am Mon-Thurs this week and it’s crickets. Tents are zipped up. Everyone is sleeping soundly. Just sucking free electricity from the tax paying citizens and enjoying BPD protection while camping in the greenway. Your ignorance is only surpassed by your lack of motivation.
Hey, although your tone is really derogatory, i for one think that’s a good suggestion. I am on my way to work at that time too so it may not be me who can do this, as i usually come by after work, in the evening. But maybe some others will get up on time to have some presence at that hour, and maybe be available to talk with passers by.
I was just watching the new s and seen that’s you guys have targeted a women in the Armed Forces. It was said that the protesters had spat on and threw things at her while she was trying to get on the train. Myself thinks that this is pitiful and un-American. Also, if I was there I would have defended this innocent women with the only way I know how THE BOSTON WAY and lets leave it at that. I’m not the brightest bulb so I don’t like to express myself in writing but in this case it’s the only way I know how. God Bless America and God bless those who serve in the Armed Forces. YOU MUTAFUCKERS GUTTA CUT THE SHIT!!!!
Danny, whatever news you were watching – they simply lied to you. Occupy Boston is all-inclusive movement, man and women in uniform are as welcome as anybody else. Stop by and see for yourself.
I was at the camp yesterday and i saw a couple of U.S. Army officers in uniform . I wish i talked with them, and learned more about their status but i didn’t get the chance. However, from the short time i saw them, they were treated just like anyone else. I would be ashamed if the movement would treat people with disrespect because of being in the military. in fact, i would hope they’d treat them with more respect and talk with them about their experiences and views. If i am there again when there is someone in uniform i’ll make a point to talk with them. If i saw anything disrespectful because of someone’s uniform, i would also defend them and say cut the crap.
Danny, please watch – “Boston Police Attack Veterans for Peace”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu63e7QD_5k&feature=youtu.be
When are the citizens of Boston going to Occupy “Occupy Boston” and demand the end of our tax dollars being used to support and manage these drifters?
Here’s a song .. feel free to rip it apart too:
http://karmacarpentry.com/TheRomanEmpireFell.mp3
… We have claimed all the space from the west to the east ..
from the hinterlands of empire to the belly of the beast.
We’re turning all the world into a global police state,
but the Roman Empire fell and so will we …
-sage
Just wanna say – to anonymous and others – the Occupy folks on the ground are representing all of us who can’t be there, but who are suffering in one way or another and whose voices have not been heard. I’m a longtime communications professional. Having been to Dewey, I thought the building of a physical presence to be impressive and courageous. Organizers are doing a fantastic job. It struck me that the message points could be cleaner and better directed. And yes, there could be petitions or some types of actions that others who can’t be on the ground can participate in to show their support – to make the collective voice louder. Yet, by NOT having a list of so-called demands, the public, the pundits, the media, keep asking the question: “what’s this all about?” The attention and interest has intensified. The numbers of “occupants” keeps growing, and perhaps that has happened because this is an “open microphone” – not a well-defined list of demands that might turn some people off. To those on the ground, THANK YOU from those of us who can’t be. Please consider some actions we can share to help support the movement.
Thanks, webhead, for the heart warming comment. We need good comments to balance all the negative, so thank you. Reminds me of the song “Young people speaking their mind, getting so much resistance from behind.”
Hey here’s another song by my friend David Rovics — written for the Occupy movement
http://www.youtube.com/user/drovics?feature=mhsn#p/a/u/0/-b_zveHUF04
now THIS is a great song about the movement.