As Americans have struggled to emotionally recover from the aftermath of the deadly riots in Washington D.C. on January 6th that saw domestic terrorists storm the Capitol Building, Peter Yarrow wrote a call to conscience for Congress in his song “If More of Us Are Yet to Die”. The Peter, Paul and Mary singer-activist shared the song on Tuesday in an email to music outlets and politicians alike.
In his wide release of the track, the iconic folk singer specifically highlighted Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) in his plea for politicians to hold President Donald Trump accountable for inciting the deadly riots on January 6th. Yarrow identified impeachment as “What must be done” in order to “Make sure that we are no longer threatened by the possibility of Donald Trump’s running for president again — and, possessing that right, able to collect additional hundreds of millions of dollars with which he can do more ‘egregious mischief.'”
“If More of Us Are Yet to Die” finds Yarrow doing what he does best as he shines a light on the urgency of our elected leaders taking collective responsibility and acting with courage in the face of America’s extreme political strife that threatens to engulf its democratic systems. As he offers his pained and troubled rendition of his acoustic song, images of President Trump and footage of last week’s riots are lain overtop video of the lifelong crusader for justice—assuring members of Congress, in song, that he and others stand with them, as he simultaneously pleads (presumable to those who are refusing to do so) to summon the courage and vote to impeach, and thereby protect, if not save, America. He asks, “If more of us are yet to die/Whose hands will bloody be/Will we, then still, deny our own/Responsibility?”
Yarrow attached a lengthy statement to the debut of the song which reads in part,
For those who stand in silence in the wake of the events of Jan 6, our complicity, considering the not unlikely chance of a repetition of some kind, would be bare, damning and unmistakeable. In short, there would be blood on the hands of those who have the power to protect us and fail to do so.
I did not write this song for you, though, as my friends and allies, I wanted to share it with you. My intention is to add strength and musical visibility to the call by many of our elected leaders to take immediate action.
Like a parent who might fail to protect her or his children from not unlikely peril or death, we look to our leaders to now do their duty as custodians of our safety. Let them summon the courage to remove the sword of Damocles that hangs precipitously over our heads.
Watch Peter Yarrow perform his timely reflection “If More of Us Are Yet to Die” below and scroll down to read Yarrow’s entire statement he attached to the song.
Peter Yarrow – “If More of Us Are Yet to Die”
My dear friends,
Yesterday, I woke up deeply worried, frightened for our country, for our safety, and the songwriter in me urgently needed to put out this musical message:
For those who stand in silence in the wake of the events of Jan 6, our complicity, considering the not unlikely chance of a repetition of some kind, would be bare, damning and unmistakeable. In short, there would be blood on the hands of those who have the power to protect us and fail to do so.
I did not write this song for you, though, as my friends and allies, I wanted to share it with you. My intention is to add strength and musical visibility to the call by many of our elected leaders to take immediate action.
Like a parent who might fail to protect her or his children from not unlikely peril or death, we look to our leaders to now do their duty as custodians of our safety. Let them summon the courage to remove the sword of Damocles that hangs precipitously over our heads.
In solidarity,
Peter
P.S. Having said the above, let me add that we, in ways most of us have not experienced in the past, now know a tiny bit of the fear, if not terror, carried daily by Blacks and people of color in this nation. And the list of others to whom this applies is deeply shameful and long.
Therefore, let us use this moment of awareness to incorporate into our being in such a way that they might awaken our compassion and commitment to create lasting change for those American who will feel (and in fact, be) only marginally safer if and when we, who live in a privilege not possessed by them, breathe a grateful sigh of relief.