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.
Quiet Early Morning
Holly Near Lyrics
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And this thought keeps me moving on
If we could heed these early warnings
The time is now, quiet early morning
Some say that human kind won't long endure
But what makes them of so sure
I know that you who hear my singing
And so we keep on while we live
Until we have no more to give
And when our fingers can strum no longer
Hand the old banjo to the young ones stronger
So though it's darkest before the dawn
These thoughts keep us moving on
Through all this world of joy and sorrow
We still can have singing tomorrows
In Holly Near's song "Quite Early Morning," the lyrics focus on the idea that things can seem the darkest right before the dawn. This can be a metaphor for life and the struggles people face. The hope is that by moving forward, listening to early warnings, and making a change, things will improve. The lyrics suggest that we have the power to create change and that it starts with individuals listening to the early warnings and taking action.
The second verse touches on the idea of human endurance, with some believing that humanity will not be able to survive for long. Near challenges this idea, arguing that those who listen to her singing can help create a better future by ringing the freedom bells. The song concludes on a hopeful note, emphasizing that life is full of both joy and sorrow, but singing will continue to be a part of the future as people pass on the old banjo to younger generations.
Overall, "Quite Early Morning" portrays a sense of hopefulness and the idea that change is possible, even in the darkest of times. The lyrics suggest that it is up to individuals to heed the early warnings and take action for a better future, making this song a bold call to action for social justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know it's darkest before the dawn
It's tough to see the good in things when everything seems bleak
And this thought keeps me moving on
But remembering that better times are ahead gives me the motivation to carry on
If we could heed these early warnings
If only we could pay attention to the signs of trouble ahead
The time is now, quiet early morning
It's not too late to make a change, even in the early stages of a problem
Some say that human kind won't long endure
Many believe that humans won't survive for much longer
But what makes them of so sure
But there's no way to know for certain what will happen in the future
I know that you who hear my singing
I believe that those who hear my message have the power to make a difference
Can make those freedom bells go on ringing
And that together, we can keep the fight for freedom and justice alive
And so we keep on while we live
So we continue to push forward, as long as we're still alive
Until we have no more to give
Until we've given everything we have to give
And when our fingers can strum no longer
And when we're no longer able to contribute in the same way
Hand the old banjo to the young ones stronger
Pass the torch to the next generation who are capable of continuing the fight
So though it's darkest before the dawn
So even though times may seem tough and uncertain
These thoughts keep us moving on
We keep pushing forward because we know better times are ahead
Through all this world of joy and sorrow
Even in a world full of both happiness and sadness
We still can have singing tomorrows
We can still look forward to happier times to come
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: PETER SEEGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind