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.
Sing to Me the Dream
Holly Near Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I do not know the story
The words are only sounds, they leave my mind to wonder
Perhaps you speak of the mountains,
or the child you used to be
Of the city Santiago and the moment you were free
To sing of hungry hearts and of the dream, do you speak of the dream.
I do not know the story
The words are only sounds and they leave my mind to wonder
But when you soar through my heart with a melody
I hear the dancing feet, I taste the salty tears
I know the laughing child and the moment of the dream
When you sing the language I feel love
Now I know the story
the songs are mighty sounds that fill my mind to wonder
And when you soar through my heart with a melody
I hear the dancing feet, I taste the salty tears
I am the laughing child, sing to me the dream
Come fill my mind with wonder
And sing to me the dream
Holly Near's song, Sing to Me the Dream, is about the power of music to transcend language barriers and capture the essence of human experience. Near describes how, when someone speaks about their life or love in a language that is unfamiliar to us, the words can sound like mere noise. However, when that same person expresses themselves through music and song, the emotions and stories behind the words become clear.
In the first verse, Near acknowledges that even though she may not understand the language that someone is speaking, she can still imagine the possibilities of what they might be saying. She conjures images of mountains and memories of childhood, as well as the city of Santiago and the moment when someone found their freedom. Near wonders if perhaps the person is singing about hungry hearts and the dream that they hold dear.
In the second verse, Near explains how music has the power to translate the emotions of love. She describes how, when someone sings with enough passion and feeling, she can experience the joy, pain, and all the nuances of love through the melody. When Near hears the music, she can taste the salty tears and feel the dancing feet.
Near concludes the piece by asking the singer to "sing to me the dream". She implores the singer to use music to fill her mind with wonder and transport her to a place where anything is possible.
Overall, Sing to Me the Dream is a beautiful tribute to the power of music to connect people and transcend language barriers.
Line by Line Meaning
When you speak the language of your life
I don't understand what you're saying about your experiences and memories
I do not know the story
I'm unaware of the details and emotions behind your words
The words are only sounds, they leave my mind to wonder
The language barrier makes it difficult for me to truly comprehend your message
Perhaps you speak of the mountains, or the child you used to be
You might be reminiscing about the past, talking about the natural world, or sharing other personal reflections
Of the city Santiago and the moment you were free
Maybe you're describing a specific event or location that holds significant meaning to you
To sing of hungry hearts and of the dream, do you speak of the dream.
Are you talking about the universal desire for a better world and a brighter future, the theme of singing for change and hope?
When you speak the language of your love
Your words about your feelings and emotions are hard to grasp
But when you soar through my heart with a melody
However, when you express yourself through music, I can sense and experience your joy and sorrow
I hear the dancing feet, I taste the salty tears
I sense your happiness and your pain through your passionate singing
I know the laughing child and the moment of the dream
I connect with the childhood memories and the shared dream of a better world conveyed through your music
When you sing the language I feel love
Your music is like a universal expression of love that transcends any language barrier
Now I know the story
Through your music, I understand and share your emotions and experiences
the songs are mighty sounds that fill my mind to wonder
Your songs are inspiring and thought-provoking, stirring my imagination and curiosity
And sing to me the dream
Please continue to express your hopes, your dreams, and your love through your powerful music
Come fill my mind with wonder
Inspire me to contemplate the world and the possibilities of a brighter future
Contributed by Lila S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.