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Stand by Me

Retirement Reflections

Last month, for my Word of the Year Link Up, I wrote about the ‘peace of home.’ In that post, I included a link to one of my favourite music videos on this theme (here) and invited readers to do the same. I wasn’t initially sure if anyone would share a song. If anyone did, I was certain it would be for my second favourite music video on this topic. Surprisingly, no one mentioned the Bublé number. But several of you did include links to very moving songs, some from artists who were completely unknown to me (it’s that whole livin’ under a rock thing)!

Inspired by how much I got out of your comments and links, I decided to do the same this month and share a favourite music video on ‘peace.’ I have already posted several song on this topic (John Lennon, Julian Lennon, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Eagles). Still, there is one music video that I love so much that I had to double-check to see if I had ever previously included it on this blog. I can’t believe that I hadn’t.

In 2002, film director Mark Johnson was walking in Santa Monica when he heard street musician Roger Ridley. That was the initial inspiration for Playing for Change which seeks to connect the world through music. Roger and Stand by Me were the focus of the first-ever Playing for Change video. Since then, PFC has made 400+ music videos, recorded over 1,200 musicians in more than 60 countries and reached over 2 billion viewers (read more here).

Written by Ben E. King, Stand by Me never mentions the word ‘peace.’ Still, peace runs through its core. According to King, he based this work on the spiritual song, Stand by Me Father (Sam Cooke). The song opens in darkness but not fear. Throughout the song, King asks his love to stand by him. At the song’s conclusion, he expands this by singing, “Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me.” A powerful flip!

This song was inducted into ‘The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.’ It was also registered by the Library of Congress as “culturally/ historically/aesthetically significant.” In 2012, it was number six on the list of highest-earning songs ($24 million). Ironically, King meant for this song to be recorded by The Drifters, but the management team refused it, so King recorded it on his own.

And Just When You Give Up On Peace…There It Is!

When preparing this post, I hadn’t heard back from any of the recipients of The Little Book of Inner Peace for over a month. Just when I thought that these books may have gone out of circulation, I had a delightful email from the recipient of Book B (the one I initially sent to Nanaimo, BC). It is now with Kaleigh, an Occupational-Therapist in Toronto who works at an Inpatient Mental Health Unit. She has been using this book with patients in her weekly relaxation sessions to promote grounding and mindfulness. So, while this book is having an extended stay in one place, it is also reaching many people at once. Very cool!

Courtesy of Unsplash

What is your favourite song about peace? I’d love to hear it. And I’d love for you to leave a link!

Speaking of links, Sue, Debbie, Jo and I invite you to join us to let us know how your intention for 2022 has been going (just two months to go)!

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

111 thoughts on “Stand by Me”

  1. Stand by Me is a favourite of mine and such a powerful song. Thanks for sharing the video Donna which brought joy and peace to my morning. I’m glad the Little Book of Peace is still travelling – what a great idea that continues to give. I will have to think about a song of Peace although coming up to the Festive Season it is a time of Peace and Good will so many of the carols and songs for Christmas are full of the message of Peace. Thanks for being such a great co-host for WOTY. I can’t believe we are almost into November!

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    1. Hi, Sue – I wholeheartedly agree — how is it November already?! I hope that your travels went well. I can’t wait to catch up. Thank you for coming up with the idea for this WOTY Link Up. It has been an excellent way to continue to review and renew our intentions. Without this linkup, I know that my commitment to ‘peace’ would have been filled with good ideas….but would not have been half as strong in follow-through!

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  4. Thanks for sharing the beautiful video, Donna. Yeah! I’m happy the Little Book of Peace is still trucking along. That’s wonderful! One of my favorite songs about peace is “Get Along’” by Kenny Chesney. Wonderful post and just in time. I was thinking about you this morning. I hope your mother is doing well.

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    1. Hi, Jill – ‘Get Along’ was another song that I had never heard before. I just listened to it and loved it. It is another song that never says the word ‘peace’ but doesn’t have to because ‘peace’ is its very core. Thank you for asking about my Mom. I went to Kelowna to visit her this past weekend and we had a wonderful time together. I am immensely grateful!

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  5. It does seem as though some of my favorite songs that make me think about peace don’t actually have the word peace in them. I would say Ripple by the Grateful Dead would be up there. Along the same lines as Stand by Me, would be Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come. And Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind.

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    2. Thank you so much, Donna – Three very different and extremely powerful songs. I hadn’t heard Ripple before and haven’t heard the other two songs for a very long time. I have posted the videos for all three (above). Are you still blogging? I haven’t received notice of a new post from you in a very long time. I miss your posts.

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      1. I should have done the links! My bad. Yes, I’m still blogging. I did have a problem with subscriptions, so you may want to re-subscribe through the email link in the right sidebar.

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    1. Hi, Kate – You bring up two important things. First, that is such a powerful song – I grew up singing it often not realizing what the words were saying. Secondly, is peace the opposite of war or is it something more? Great thought-provoking comment!

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  11. Donna,
    As a big fan of Ben E. King and blues music, I loved the Roger Ridley video and the accompanying voices. If you ever get the opportunity, I think you and Richard would love the Juke joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS, the home of the blues. My choice for the peace video is another tune by John Lennon–a song I listened to often in my younger days…”Give Peace a Chance.”

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    1. Hi, Janis – ‘Imagine’ is such a brilliant song on so many different levels. It does contain the word ‘peace.’ More importantly, peace is its very core.

      Imagine there’s no countries
      It isn’t hard to do
      Nothing to kill or die for
      And no religion too
      Imagine all the people living life in peace
      You, you may say
      I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one
      I hope some day you’ll join us
      And the world will be as one.

      I hope that you are doing well and having a restful week!

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  14. Imagine by John Lennon came to me immediately. Powerful words and rendition. It’s made me so happy to see that your little book is helping many where it has landed next! Yay for a great idea, Donna. Thank you for the link up. Denyse.

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    1. Thanks, Denyse – This linkup has kept me on my toes in terms of not neglecting my WOTY. Without this linkup, I never would have come up with The Little Book of Inner Peace Project. It’s been fascinating to watch how it plays out on its very own.
      Thank you so much for joining us on this linkup. It is greatly appreciated!

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  15. This is so lovely Donna, a great idea and I’m enjoying all the videos and song clips too! My first thought was Imagine like others have said, it epitomises what peace means to me.
    Your little book is still going strong, what a fun idea you had back at the start of the year and it’s still making its way around the world.
    You have peace oozing out of your bones Donna and the world needs more people like you! Thanks for being a great co-host and looking forward to catching up soon. Glad to hear your mum is going well too. xx

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  16. Hi Donna – so pleased your Little Book of Inner Peace is providing many with ‘loving’ thoughts during their difficult days. You’ve mentioned some wonderful songs here – we need ‘our’ songs as sustenance at times … and Leonard Cohen always inspired me … but ‘Stand By Me’ sung by Roger Ridley is awe inspiring … I’ll be back to listen to the others. Also good to see your mother is enjoying life and you’re able to pop over and visit – cheers Hilary

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  17. I love Stand By Me Donna. The words are just beautiful. If you get a minute check out Seal singing it on You Tube. I only caught up with it recently and its now my new favourite. Because I mostly live under a rock I had never heard of him until recently. I’ve been enjoying all his songs since.

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  18. I love Stand By Me too Donna and I just listened to the Seal version and really liked that one too. Whenever I think of a song about peace I’m immediately drawn to the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul”. It starts with “when peace like a river attendeth my way” and goes from there. It was written after a terrible family tragedy. Link to the wiki story of his family:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Is_Well_with_My_Soul

    And link to the song:

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    2. Hi, Leanne – My apologies for my late reply. For some unknown reason your comment ended up in my SPAM folder (which I usually neglect to check). You were in good company though, Natalie was in there too!
      I just listened to the video song that you suggested, and read the accompanying link. Individually they both command notice. Combined they are truly inspirational. To have suffered such unspeakable tragedy and to retain unbending faith is awe-inspiring! Thank you so much for sharing this. Hope your hip is continuing to heal nicely!

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    1. Hi, Bernadette – Like so many, I have listened/watched this recording over and over. During pandemic isolation, I came across a fascinating article in Rolling Stone magazine giving a behind the scenes, moment-by-moment, breakdown on the making of that video. I believe that a subscription is currently required in order to read the whole article, but if you can get your hands on it, it is a very interesting read!
      https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/we-are-the-world-a-minute-by-minute-breakdown-54619/

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  21. Hi Donna, Stand By me is one of my favourite songs, too. It’s wonderful to read where your The Little Book of Inner Peace is and how Kaleigh is using it at work. Another favourite song of mine is We Are The World . Even though there is no ‘peace’ word in the lyrics, I love how the artists (some of the era’s best known musicians) got together, sang in their own styles and the result was beautiful, aside from helping to fight famine and bringing peace to the world. For individual inner peace, I like Peace by Norah Jones. I added my link. Thank you for co-hosting the link party with Sue, Deb and Jo.

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    1. Hi, Natalie – You and Leanne were hiding in my SPAM folder. This is a great reminder for me to check there more often. I love We are the World and shared some of its backstory under my reply to Bernadette. I have been a long time fan of Norah Jones but somehow missed her song Peace. It is absolutely beautiful — thank you for sharing it.
      Wishing you a wonderful November.

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      1. Thank you for getting my comment out of the spam folder. I should have known better, not to include the two Youtube links in my comment. I enjoyed reading the article in Rolling Stone magazine that you mentioned.

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  22. The Little Book of Inner Peace sounds delightful. When I think of songs about peace, I think of “All We Are Saying Is Give Peace A Chance.” BUT when I think of songs that make me feel peaceful, I think of “Let It Be.” Obviously when it comes to peace, I’m all about the Beatles.

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    1. Hi, Ally – I love that distinction between songs about peace and songs that make us feel peaceful. You’ve made great choices in both categories! I believe that the Beatles (individually and collectively) did a great deal to promote peace.
      They opposed the war in Vietnam and were avid participants in the anti-war movement. They were not being afraid to speak their mind on this topic (and more). “Give Peace A Chance,” “Revolution,” “All You Need Is Love,” (and other titles which I am sure I am neglecting) speak volumes!

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  24. I’m glad you’ve shined a light on “Stand By Me,” Donna, because it’s a great song. One I’ve sort of forgotten, yet its meaning is even more vital now than ever. I’m usually a purist about songs, leaning more towards the original than covers. But John Lennon’s version of this is my favorite. For general songs about peace, I agree with Ally that “Let It Be” is probably my top choice. – Marty

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    1. Thank you so much for this introduction. Another commenter (Ally) had made the distinction between songs about peace and songs that help us feel peaceful. This one definitely does the latter. I will be listening to it whenever I am looking for extra relaxation.

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  27. I may have shared this with you in the past; can’t remember. Sam Baker’s “Go In Peace” from his Say Grace album. I have a framed copy of his handwritten lyrics hanging inside the front door. I hope all come and go in peace.

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  29. Stand by me is a wonderful song, thanks for reminding me of it. There are lots of good songs about peace. I think my favourite is actually a Christmas song, “I heard the bells on Christmas Day”. My favourite version and recording of it is with some female country singer but I can’t remember right now who it is. However, this is the version but sung by Ricky Van Shelton:

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      2. I’m quite sure it’s Suzy Bogguss, but where she sings the version (melody) that Ricky Van Shelton sings in what I linked to, but I didn’t find it in a search. That melody is so much more appealing to me. Perhaps the particular recording is on an odd CD somewhere that I find on Spotify and not on YouTube. Thanks for looking!

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  32. It appears that we sometimes both live under the same rock 😉 This Playing For Change song is one of my favorites. I love the song even more because of how the music video is composed, with each artist adding another depth of soul to the song.

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    1. Hi, Sandy – You are fabulous company to share life under the rock.
      Playing for Change has been a favourite of mine right from the beginning. And, Barbara just introduced me to a PFC video that I hadn’t seen before (Ringo Starr and Weight). Love it!

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  33. Hi Donna – this is a terrific idea. I enjoyed reading about Ben E. King’s song and loved the PFC video. Just now it reminded me of when my brother, who passed away last year, sent our families the YouTube link to another PFC video, The Weight featuring Ringo Starr and Robbie Robertson, as inspiration during Covid. So it’s more about helping others, and not specifically about peace, but I have such a peaceful feeling when I hear and watch it, especially now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ&feature=emb_share&app=desktop

    This post really moved me. 🧡🧡🧡

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    1. Hi, Barb – Thank you so much! I don’t know how I missed this video before. This is the exact reason why I wrote this post. I wanted to be reminded of songs that I loved and hadn’t heard for a long time. I also wanted to be introduced to any gems that I had missed. This is a trifecta gem – ❤ PLC, ❤ the song, ❤ Ringo Starr (I've been a long time fan)!

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      4. I think the matinee is at 2 at a church in Comox. I will send you info when the time is confirmed and i have information about the location. Would love to see you there. Sat Dec 3. They haven’t done any advertising yet.

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  35. Donna, the video you shared is very powerful. Thanks for introducing me to Playing for Change and for the link to learn more. Happy that the book is making the rounds and having an impact.

    I love Amazing Grace by Carrie Underwood, and also the Pentatonix version. It is a humbling song that touches my heart and brings me peace. Another beautiful song with inspiring lyrics is Ordinary Angels by Craig Morgan.

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      3. Hi, Suzanne – Thank you for the bumper crop of extremely powerful songs. I thought that I had heard everything by Pentatonix, but I had missed that one. The point in the outdoor chapel with Kevin’s clapping hands used as a musical instrument gave me goosebumps!

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