Holly Near is a unique combination of entertainer, teacher and activist. An immense vocal talent, Near's career as a singer has been profoundly defined by an unwillingness to separate her passion for music from her passion for human dignity. She is a skilled performer and an outspoken ambassador for peace who brings to the stage an integration of world consciousness, spiritual discovery, and theatricality.
Holly was born to parents from the states of North Dakota and New York. They were political activists, ranchers, and supporters of culture in the rural community of Ukiah, California. Although Holly sang publicly from the time she was eight years old, her professional career began in her early twenties when she worked as an actress in film and television. She also appeared in Hair on Broadway. Eventually music returned to become her major focus, especially that music which articulated the social conditions of the world community.
In 1971, when she was 22 years old, Holly joined Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and other artists in the Free The Army Tour, singing to soldiers who were resisting war and racism from within the military. Near started writing and singing political songs. Following in the footsteps of such writers as Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Beverly Grant, and Hazel Dickens, she added newly discovered feminist perspective to anti-war songs and developed a unique and recognizable style.
Near was probably the first woman artist to start an independent record company when in 1972 she founded Redwood Records which became a major force in alternative music for nearly 20 years. Near's vision for Redwood was to promote and produce music by politically conscious artists from around the world, a mission fulfilled for almost two decades.
Finding herself at the forefront of a growing feminist movement, Near worked for world peace and multi-cultural consciousness. The world was her university and social change movements informed her songs. She sang the secrets long before such ideas found space in the major media. Near helped support the work of artists from Nicaragua, Chile, Australia, Canada, England, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Vietnam, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States. She was outspoken on such issues as gay and lesbian rights, a woman's right to choose, stopping domestic violence, and opposing nuclear war.
Holly has traveled from the fields of central California singing in support of The United Farm Workers to El Salvador where she sang for peace amidst war and conflict. Her songs were sung clandestinely in Latin American prisons and sung boldly by Irish and English women who joined together to protest war. Whether in support of nurses striking for better conditions in the emergency room or in opposition to racist violence on the police force, Holly sings a bold truth.
A peace activist and advocate for human and civil rights, Holly has linked the multitude of issues that are our lives, refusing the idea of separate "causes." When asked how she keeps her energy for this work, she smiles: "I am selfish. I reach for the world I want to live in. And I believe in leaving our best efforts as a gift to our children."
Amidst all her work for peace and human rights, Holly is a consummate singer and entertainer. When she sings show tunes or songs from the 30s, her audience knows that Ms. Near could have chosen to be a Broadway musical star or a cabaret artist. And yet, these great songs come through Holly's unique world experience and we hear them as if for the first time. Out of this gentle, vibrant woman comes a huge voice, a unique sense of humor, an unexpected theatricality and a startling power. The moment she feels trapped in a genre, she breaks into a song that challenges the boxes and stereotypes.
In an interest to document social change music, Near's papers are archived with the Schlesinger Library at Radcliff. Near teaches performance craft and song writing. She has been a cultural leader for over 35 years and now shares her experience in creative and challenging master classes. Holly reminds both students and audience alike about the importance of their lives, and whenever they are with her, they feel a sense of being welcomed home.
Both as a participant and a leader, she bears personal witness to the hugely important role that music plays in political action movements. Throughout her lengthy career, Ms. Near has used her performances to educate, challenge, and inspire. The unifying and healing quality of her work explains the diverse nature of the groups who call on her to speak and sing.
She presented the 2004 Ware Lecture for the Unitarian Universalist General Assembly in Long Beach, California; delivered the keynote address for Women Change America, a conference presented by the National Women's History Project at Smith College; spoke to participants at HerbFest in Iowa and the Bioneers Conference in California; and led a Martin Luther King Day celebration in Northern California. She participated and performed at the March For Women's Lives in Washington, DC and at the Stop The War demonstration in New York, NY before the US invasion into Iraq.
In 2004, Holly joined Eve Ensler for a march in Juarez, Mexico to protest the uninvestigated killing of hundreds of young women. In Toledo, Ohio, she sat witness to the testimony of women reporting rape and other violence against women. Holly helped raise funds for 10,000 Kites, a collaborative anti-war project between young people from Israel and Palestine who in spring of 2005, flew kites over the wall that separated them.
Last year, Holly joined thousands of protesters in Columbus, Georgia to demand that the infamous School of the Americas be closed down. She will attend again this year. Dictators and military police are trained at this school in skills that are used to destroy growing democracies, skills which include repression and torture.
Near's portrait hangs at The Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio along with those of other social change artists including Paul Robeson, Marion Anderson, Pete Seeger, Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Joan Baez, Harry Belafonte, and Woody Guthrie. She has received numerous awards for her work for social change, including honors from the ACLU, the National Lawyers Guild, the National Organization for Women, NARAS, Ms. Magazine (Woman of the Year), and the Legends of Women's Music Award. Most recently, she was one of 1000 PeaceWomen nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.
Holly is not resting on her laurels, but continues to write and sing political songs with grace and humor. Holly Near's integrity earns her the reputation as one of the most articulate political artists of our time. Her newest CD, Show Up, proves that she continues to sing with a power and maturity that may only come from decades of love and fear, despair and inspiration.
1000 Grandmothers
Holly Near Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They will surely volunteer
With their ancient wisdom flowing
They will lend a loving ear x2
First they'll form a loving circle
Around the wounded wing
Then contain the brutal beasts of war
A lullaby much stronger
Than bombs and threats to kill
A force unlike we've ever seen
Will break the murder's will x2
To the prisons we'll invite them
The most violent men will weep
When a 1000 women hold them strong
And pray their souls to keep x2
Let them rock the few who steal the most
And rule with youthful charms
So they'll see the damage that they do
And will fall into grandma's arms
2000 loving arms
If you think these women are too soft
To face the world at hand
Then you've never known the power of love
And you fail to understand
An old woman holds a powerful force
When she no longer needs to please
She can cut your shallow life to bits
And bring you to your knees
We best get down on our knees
And pray for a thousand grandmothers
Will you please come volunteer
No longer tucked deep out of sight
Will you bring your power here
Will you bring your power here
In the song 1000 Grandmothers, Holly Near is making a call for grandmothers to come forth and lend their support to those who need it. She believes that Grandmothers have ancient wisdom that they can use to heal the world. They will form a loving circle around the wounded and will bring back the semblance of order in a world lost in chaos. When war ravages communities, the grandmothers will contain the brutal beasts of war and sing freedom songs that will calm the troubled hearts of those affected.
The grandmothers will not only offer a lullaby for the young but also one that is much stronger than bombs and threats to kill. With their collective force, the grandmothers will break the will of murderers and anyone who seeks to bring chaos or harm to the community. Furthermore, Holly Near believes that grandmothers can also bring healing to those in prisons. The most violent men will weep when 1,000 women hold them strong and pray for their souls to keep. The grandmothers will use their loving charm to rule and bring about positive change.
Line by Line Meaning
Send in a thousand grandmothers
The call to bring together a group of grandmothers
They will surely volunteer
Explains their willingness to help
With their ancient wisdom flowing
The grandmothers have a deep understanding from a lifetime of experience
They will lend a loving ear
They will listen with care and concern
First they'll form a loving circle
Their presence will be inclusive, with no one left out
Around the wounded wing
They will gather together to help heal those who are hurt
Then contain the brutal beasts of war
The grandmothers will work to stop the horrors of war and its effects
Sweet freedom songs they'll sing
Their singing will bring hope and encouragement
A lullaby much stronger
Their song will have more power than any weapon
Than bombs and threats to kill
The grandmothers' way provides a peaceful solution by showing love and care
A force unlike we've ever seen
Their work will produce a level of unity and peace the world has never experienced
Will break the murder's will
Their work will cause those who wage war to rethink their ways
To the prisons we'll invite them
The grandmothers will visit people in jail
The most violent men will weep
Their presence will bring about tears of remorse and compassion
When a 1000 women hold them strong
Their united front is one that cannot be matched
And pray their souls to keep
They will pray with love and compassion
Let them rock the few who steal the most
The grandmothers will work to stop wrongdoing and bring those who commit these acts to justice
And rule with youthful charms
Their approach will be gentle but powerful
So they'll see the damage that they do
They will work to help those who are being hurt to recognize the impact of their actions
And will fall into grandma's arms
The grandmothers will be there to comfort those who have been hurt
2000 loving arms
Their care and concern is a powerful force
If you think these women are too soft
Some people may underestimate their power because they are seen as 'soft'
To face the world at hand
Their love and compassion will enable them to face the harsh realities
Then you've never known the power of love
Those who underestimate them do not understand the strength of love and care
And you fail to understand
They are underestimating the power of these grandmothers
An old woman holds a powerful force
Their age and experience gives them power
When she no longer needs to please
They are focused solely on their mission and not looking for praise or accolades
She can cut your shallow life to bits
Their wisdom and clarity will help people see the flaws in their beliefs and practices
And bring you to your knees
They have the ability to change hearts and minds
We best get down on our knees
An appeal to the listener to take their message seriously
And pray for a thousand grandmothers
A request for help and support for their mission
Will you please come volunteer
Asking for others to join them in their efforts
No longer tucked deep out of sight
Their efforts will no longer be invisible and ignored
Will you bring your power here
Asking for support and help in creating a more peaceful and just world
Writer(s): Holly Near, J. David Moore
Contributed by Mason H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.