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| Scenes from "In the Streets of Charlottesville" music video |
The song provides savvy commentary on both the violence that turned the bucolic Virginia town into a hashtag, and the underlying themes continuing to tear at the whole nation.
Based in Charlottesville, Burger was inspired by his community who has responded to hate with love, as echoed in the song's culminating lines: "Now we choose our destiny / unity through diversity."
"I wanted to give people everywhere the deeper story and a paradigm for navigating divisiveness and violence," Burger says. "The song is also helping locals heal open emotional wounds. Ultimately, it's about the urgent need to examine beliefs, and embrace inclusiveness and compassion societally."Confederate monuments—flash points for white nationalism throughout the South—get their due: "Statues stood and glorified / the whips and chains of Dixie pride / All more troubling now because / they mixed it up with swastikas."
Burger also calls out presidential emboldening of white nationalism in the thinly veiled lines, "When leaders lack accountability / or even common civility / there's always someone else to blame / and the bully pulpit fanned the flames."
America's stalemate over gun violence isn't left off the hook: "Time's upon us we knew would come / when free speech marches with a gun / Amendments beg us what to do / to reconcile numbers one and two."
Burger's one-man production delivers insightful spoken word set to music dynamically evolving from the opening's sparse urban heartbeat and military snares into a full rock anthem finale. He orates in his natural Caucasian voice without pretense of white rap.
"While I felt the message would be more powerful spoken than sung, an urban voice could be too easily dismissed as just angry and disenfranchised in this racially charged context. White introspection is critical to meaningful healing and progress."The song reinforces such soul searching in candid lines like "Here's our chance to realize / we all hold our secret lies / Judge brothers for this, sisters for that / Time to take ourselves to the mat."
Burger's self-produced music video elevates the piece to multimedia storytelling art. Eschewing screen appearances, he enhances emotional impact by employing a seamless visual montage intimately reinforcing the lyrics' message.
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| Jeff Burger, creator "In the Streets of Charlottesville" and co-founder of Beliefs Project |
About Jeff Burger and Beliefs Project:
An ASCAP songwriter, he is also an accomplished professional in the music and media industries, with clients including Apple, Disney, and Paramount. He has served on the masthead of four music magazines including Electronic Musician and EQ, and penned six books and 500+ articles on media arts.
The Video:
The Lyrics:
In the Streets of CharlottesvilleThis is the place Heather diedGave it all to stem the tidesOf anger and hate racing ‘cross the landAs men arrived with guns in handYeah, here’s where they came with rage in their heartsHere’s where they came to tear us apartDressed for war, spoiled for fightsWaving flags righter than rightIn the streets of CharlottesvilleStatues stood and glorifiedWhips and chains of Dixie prideAll more troubling now becuzThey mixed it up with swastikasAfter millions paid the ultimate costWe won’t bring back the holocaustA classic case of us versus themCan’t we just live as women and menIn the streets of CharlottesvilleStay home and pray or call hate out?Join the fray, shout down the shouts?A stand for peace could still transpireIn pouring gas onto a fireWhen leaders lack accountabilityOr even common civilityThere’s always someone else to blameAnd the bully pulpit fanned the flamesIn the streets of CharlottesvilleOpening wounds we hoped to ignoreOur oldest issues came to foreFestering here, simmering thereTime to come clean, clear the airHere’s our chance to realizeWe all hold our secret liesJudge brothers for this, sisters for thatTime to take ourselves to the matIn the streets of CharlottesvilleOver and over again we make our battlefieldsHave we had enough pain to drop the swords and shields?Can’t fight hate with hate or fear with fearLove’s the only way our children will see all their yearsTime's upon us we knew would comeWhen free speech marches with a gunAmendments beg us what to doTo reconcile numbers one and twoThe man on the screen plays to our fearsSays you’ll lose what you hold dearAre you left or are you right?You must see life as black or whiteIn the streets of CharlottesvilleDraw lines here, draw lines there'Til what’s left are maps of despairTime we get all blood is redTime we say enough's been shedTogether we can turn the pageOn hate, on anger, on rageNow we choose our destinyUnity through diversityIn the streets of Charlottesville...Words and Music Copyright © 2017 Jeff Burger
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| "In the Streets of Charlottesville" - Official video thumbnail |
SOURCE: Beliefs Project
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Bonus Pictures:
(Courtesy of Trumpton)
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