"Obama (Start Believing Again)"

Obama (Start Believing Again)
© (P) 2008 Mark Simos/Devachan Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved.
Guitars, vocals, Garageband™ programming, iMovie™ editing: Mark Simos
(lyrics below)

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As a result of your views, this video made it to #2 of the top 10 video finalists for Air America's Obama Ad contest! Thanks!

http:/www.airamerica.com

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Greetings, friends. I'm Mark Simos: songwriter, guitarist, fiddler, tunesmith and composer, teacher, and now guerrilla Garagebandido, iMovie(On)-maven and videographer of last resort. I'm releasing this song as a tribute to Barack Obama and the remarkable campaign staffers and volunteers that are proving to the world exactly what a little bit of community organizing writ large can do. It incorporates video excerpts from a campaign speech Obama gave on October 22, 2008 in Richmond, Virginia.

I currently teach songwriting at Berklee College of Music in Boston. However, the views expressed in this song are entirely my own; and I take full personal responsibility for every aspect of the song and its production and release on the Internet.

Thanks to Peggy Seeger, Emma's Revolution (Pat Humphries and Sandy O), Michael Merenda, Brad Powell, Audrey Molsky and others unnamed for respectively scolding, inspiring, encouraging and advising me into getting off my duff.

Back in 2003, before the invasion of Iraq, I wrote a protest song which, at the last moment, I hesitated to send out in full musical form. Some of my hesitation was honorable caution, some trepidation that I now regret. In any case, I hope getting this song out there will serve as some form of restitution. If Colin Powell can work through his karma maybe I can too.

This is still only a work demo—if you are inspired to learn the song and want the chord chart or sheet music (lyrics are below), email me at d e v a c h a n m u s i c @ c om c a s t . n e t. A free mp3 download of this song will be available at my website about songwriting and social activism: www.songsofconscience.com, and through my Facebook account page:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Mark-Simos-Devachan-Music/44778431417

If you enjoyed this music please consider making a donation of $5 to the Obama/Biden campaign or the DSCC senate races.

This song is dedicated to Barack Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham.

"Obama (Start Believing Again)"
© Mark Simos/Devachan Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Obama, Obama
Obama—can we start believing again?
Obama—the journey is long, but it's time to begin
Obama—can we start believing again?
Obama—time to be leaders, each woman, each man
Can we change the world?—yes we can, yes we can

Time to keep faith with what once made us great
Join the new great debate between choosing and fate
The hour is near midnight and all is not well
If our will is alive, then its still not too late
For the meal to be laid on the hungry childs plate
For the student to walk through the future's bright gate
To tell the round world we will wipe clean the slate
Learn the lesson—that unjust war just fans the hate
And a pause to reflect doesn't mean—hesitate
Make no bargain with fear, yet fear not to negotiate

Oh—can we walk the talk?
Help us win back our country, Barack

Obama, Obama
Obama—can we start believing again?
Obama—the journey is long, but it's time to begin

Though the lines may stretch around the block
We will win back our country, Barack

Obama—can we start believing again?
Obama—the journey is long, but its time to begin
Obama—can we start believing again?
Obama—time to be leaders, each woman, each man
Can we change the world?—we can, yes we can
Can we change the world?—we can, yes we can

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Barack
• Obama
• campaign
• song
• songs
• election
• Democrats
• yeswecan
• president
• speech
• vote
• Richmond
• Virginia
• presidential
• believe
• believing
• great debate
• walk the talk
• change
• Air America
• airamerica
• contest
• community organizer
• community
• organizer
• songwriting
• soccermamas4obama
• grandmother
• Madelyn Dunham
• leadership

[DevachanMusic]

From the songwriter: For those who have left positive comments, even comments expressing doubt and skepticism, thanks for listening and contributing. To the handful of the 28000+ viewers of this video who think it useful or emotionally fulfilling to rant and spew hatred: no one forced you to listen, and it's not my responsibility to provide a forum for you. Go write your own song and make your own video. I'll continue to let my song, interwoven with Obama's words, speak for itself. Thanks. - MS

[audiotracer1]

man.. you should release an album with that lyrics

[DevachanMusic]

Thank you! At the very least I'll try to make a real recording of it - this is just a simple GarageBand work demo. Thank you for listening!

[DevachanMusic]

FLASH! Thanks to your 2500+ views of my song/video, "Obama (Start Believing Again)" is a finalist in Air America's Obama Ad Contest! The winning entry will get promoted on Air America, so this is a great chance to get the song heard by Air America listeners. Please help by following the link in the info section to the contest entries; click on any video and then the voting buttons should appear - you don't have to register with Air America. Thanks! - Mark

[DevachanMusic]

Thanks to all who viewed the video/song and for the wonderful comments! It's easy to sit working on a song and feel a million doubts and reasons not to put it out there. (We all have our inner "concern trolls!) The goodwill coming back is truly energizing. Thanks again! - Mark

[pizzathrower]

brown2828,

You severly missed Obama's message when you make a comment like that. LISTEN to him. Listen to America! 5/6 of Obamas votes came from white voters. Use your logic and reason, not your prejudice.

[diffjones23]

WHAT makes anyone think Obama, or any president for that matter, can and will do anything for our country. WE are the ones that need to change. When there is a problem, the first person you need to look at is Yourself.

[twilightgirlusa]

Aww honey me too our troops and our jobs

[OlympicSong]

Hi ! Good conceptual song. Good rendition. Cheers !

[surnbe]

Propaganda

[senglit]

Obama is good...McCain is bad...cain keeps saying bad things about obama...

[KristenAshley08]

Maybe you should pay for attention. He is our next president

[maresbears]

Go to his website and READ IT!

[alaviniz1986]

im with u , i believe when i see, everyone can talk :)

[alaviniz1986]

it looks to me here shown everything very beutiful this obama thing, time will show everything, i hope its not a lye :)greets to america

[jjstardust2006]

I hope Obama brings the troops back home. I have friends and family over there i havnt seen in years. i cryed with joy obama won, i hope he bring them home.