As I sit here watching and listening to the play by play footage of this day 7 years ago - one song comes to mind. It’s called The Hands That Built America by one of my favorite bands U2. This song was featured in a Martin Scorsese film titled Gangs of New York. I listened to this song just the other day - with all the politics and need for change going on it only seemed appropriate. Obama has used several U2 songs on the campaign trail It’s a Beautiful Day and the song City of Blinding Lights is the song he came out to when he gave his acceptance speech at the democratic convention.
The message in The Hands that Built America is subtle, but effective and the way Bono sings it with Pavorotti is touching. I’ve posted the lyrics here:
Oh my love, it’s a long way we’ve come
From the freckled hills to the steel and glass canyons
From the stony fields, to hanging steel from the sky
From digging in our pockets for a reason not to say goodbye
These are the hands that built America
(Russian, Sioux, Dutch, Hindu)
Oh, oh oh, America
(Polish, Irish, German, Italian)
Last saw your face in a watercolour sky
As sea birds argue, a long goodbye
I took your kiss, on the spray of Endless stars
You gotta live with your dreams, don’t make them so hard
And these are the hands, that built America
(The Irish, the Blacks, the Chinese, the Jews)
Ah, ah ah, America / Hand
(Korean, Hispanic, Muslim, Indian)
Of all of the promises, is this one we could keep
Of all of the dreams, is this one still out of reach
Out ta outa reeeach
(Dream-oh-yeah)
(Oh oh-dream, oh love)
It’s early fall, there’s a cloud on the New York skyline
Innocence, dragged across a yellow line
These are the hands that built America
These are the hands that built America
Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah America
