I never thought that Neil Young would play any part in a giant rift between me and my dad. I mean, what’s there to argue when you’re talking about the man who wrote “Heart of Gold????

My mom and dad were hippies when I was born. They lived on a farm and grew carrots and marijuana in the big garden in our yard. My dad had a huge bushy beard that once caught on fire when he was lighting a joint. And we have the photos to prove it.

So you can imagine how delighted they were when I gave them the incredible news – I was going to sing backing vocals for every song on Neil’s new album! They were thrilled.

I was ecstatic. Driving to the studio that day, April 6th, 2006, I was nervous and excited. I didn’t know what to expect.

I walked into the Capitol Records building in Hollywood with my friend Franne. There were 98 other singers – all the finest session singers in L.A. People who had sung backup for everyone from Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson…the guy who sang the “Good Times??? theme song was there! I was completely impressed by the talent in the room. And that was even before Neil walked in.

I had no idea that Neil would actually be there. Not only was he there, he hung out in the studio with us, suggesting parts, voicing his opinion on what we sang. His lyrics popped up on the screen and he watched all of our reactions. I don’t know if he anticipated such strong emotions from all of us as we read his incredibly powerful words. We laughed, cried, cheered, clapped. By now, thanks to diligent news reporters, everyone reading this most likely knows the nature of those lyrics – they were provocative, anti-war, anti-Bush yet full of hope. When the lyrics to “Let’s Impeach the President??? came up on the screen, he told us the story of a friend whose young child turned to his father after hearing the song and asked “Can you say that???? Amazing how perfectly a child’s comment sums it all up.

That was one of the most influential and wonderful days of my musical career so far. I was the youngest singer there and I was in the company of some of the greats. And then there was Neil…the energy that exuded from this man was so compassionate, so full of love and peace. And focus. He had a reason for writing the words he wrote and recording this album. His determination lit a fire in me and probably everyone else in that room.

On my way out of the studio that night, he said to me and my friend Franne, “what we did in there will create a ripple.???

And it started immediately. I felt like a changed person. I felt so much energy flowing into and through me. I felt the need to do something. I didn’t know what exactly, but it was as if the option of complacency was no longer present. The apathy that seems to plague my generation was lifted. I felt compelled, obligated to take action in some way.

That night, in my apartment, in my bed in the dark with my notebook on my pillow, I furiously scribbled as words flooded my brain. A song was writing itself, influenced by the events of the day.

I considered Neil’s friend’s child and the question he asked as I thought about the potential downsides of releasing a song like this into the world. I do not have the fame of someone like Neil Young. I am an up and coming artist with so many odds already stacked against me in the music industry of today. I thought about the child’s question as it pertained to my career, too, knowing it would piss some people off. Maybe people who I want to like me. Sign me to a big record label. And then I thought about the things that are so much bigger than all of that. I thought about the things that people need to hear right now. Things Neil tapped into and passed on to all of us in the studio that day. Not only CAN we say these things, we have a DUTY to say them. We have the obligation to question our authority figures all the time. And if we don’t like the answers we get we need to dig deeper and push harder.

I am already getting major criticism from various people on my websites. And I’ve only had the song posted for 1 day. People are asking me why I hate the president (I don’t), do I think I could do a better job at running the country (probably not), did I vote at the last election (I did). And there are also people thanking me for speaking the truth, for taking a chance and putting a song out there that will make people think and maybe make people want to help this world move toward change. I am not so naïve to think that a song can change the world. But maybe a bunch of songs. Sung by people who believe in the ideas expressed. Embraced by many who make the songs their own.

Oh – and my dad – where does he fit into all of this…well, a lot of time has passed since his hippie days. He is still the wonderful, loving father I am blessed to have grown up with, but his politics are…how should I put it…not what I choose to believe. The fact that one of the toughest critics of my song is the man I have grown up idolizing – that’s a difficult one to reconcile. But I am able to see where his beliefs come from and love him just the same.

There is nothing like politics to divide a group of people. Or unite us.

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Post by Terra Naomi
You can see (and more importantly hear) more of Terra Naomi at the following websites: http://www.myspace.com/somethinggoodtoshowu and http://www.myspace.com/terranaomi