Story Behind The Song

Journey through the 1960s, written by a "Boomer" who witnessed first-hand the unfoldings and upheavals of that most significant decade: the civil-rights movement, political shocks, social unrest, the Vietnam War and the draft, the cold war, peace rallies,

Song Description

If "nostalgia" was a choice for subject matter, that would be the best fit for this song. After a 30 second audio collage intro, featuring some of the most famous voices and quotes of the decade, the song takes the listener on a journey through the 1960's

Lyrics

Break the Mold

Audio Collage Intro:

JFK: Inaugural Address, Ask not what your country
MLK: I Have a Dream Speech
JFK: Cuban missile crisis blockade TV address
JFK: Berlin Address, Icn bin ein Berliner
Walter Cronkite: From Dallas, TX, JFK Died...Broadcast
John Lennon: More Famous than Jesus remark
LBJ: I will not seek, and I will not accept...speech
Moon Landing: Tranquility Base...the Eagle has landed
One small step for man
Henry Kissinger: We believe peace is at hand
Mayor Daly: Policeman...is there to preserve disorder
Nixon: I am not a crook
Timothy Leary: Turn on, tune in, and drop out


You who came of age in the 60's

And feel out of sorts in times like these

Remember....remember...


When Keith Richards did not look dead

And the Bogeyman was wrapped in Red

"That's one small step...," the man said

The Draft and Nam messed with our heads

It was: sex, drugs, and rock n' roll

Thanks to Penicillin and birth control

Our music still moves the soul

Lookin' back...man, we broke the mold


Oh the 60's was a trip to survive

When the first boomers came alive

To the Beatles, Dylan, and MoTown jive

A Flower Power bus, yeah we had arrived

NBC black and white TV

Dallas, Memphis, LA, and DC

Down the river we were sold

But lookin' back...we still broke the mold


If you weren't there you can't really know

What it was like to be in the show

Woodstock gave the old heave ho

To Father Knows Best and ducks in a row

Some still cant see the forest for the trees

We got E.D., bad hips and knees

That said, and truth be told

We did, yeah we really did, break the mold


Our parents fought the last good war

They scrimped, saved and sacrificed more

We were lost, changing the world

Marches, sit-ins, and protests swirled

So, Twenty-Something, whats your wish?

How will you remember this?

And when your life-story is told

Will it be...that you broke the mold?

YEAH, Its your time be bold

Break the mold

Ã?Æ?Ã?'Ã?,Ã?'Ã?Æ?,Ã?,Ã?'Ã?Æ?Ã?'Ã?,,Ã?Æ?,Ã?,,Ã?Æ?Ã?'Ã?,Ã?'Ã?Æ?,Ã?,,Ã?Æ?Ã?'Ã?,,Ã?Æ?,Ã?,Ã?© Arthur Brueggeman 2007