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.
The Promise
Holly Near Lyrics
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Then tomorrow, if we break up, one of us will be asking
How could you do this to me darling
When we promised life a rose
The promises that lovers make are wishful thinking I suppose
How can anyone know if love is forever
Or only for a moment
Stay with me awhile, it may be a long while
Maybe we'll live together and the years will have their way
One morning we will wake up and one of us will say
How could you do this to me darling
Did you know it from the start
The promises we never made were outlasted by the heart
Can′t you see a promise just makes us feel good now
And we grew up with the notion that lovers must take a vow
But I can tell you in this moment as life unfolds each day
The way that we've been making love
I don't want to go away
In "The Promise," Holly Near explores the concept of promises within relationships and questions their validity and permanence. The lyrics reflect the uncertainty and fragility of love, highlighting the idea that promises can bring temporary happiness but often lead to disappointment when they are broken.
Near suggests that promises provide a temporary sense of security and well-being. They make us feel good in the present moment, offering hope and reassurance. However, the reality is that promises can be easily broken, leading to heartache and confusion. The question of "How could you do this to me darling?" arises when one person feels betrayed or let down by the other, emphasizing the disappointment and hurt caused by broken promises.
Near further explores the transience of love, wondering how one can truly know if love is forever or only meant for a fleeting moment. This uncertainty highlights the impermanence of relationships and the unpredictability of human emotions. The lyrics suggest that love is fluid and subject to change, making long-term commitments difficult to fulfill.
The song also acknowledges the passage of time within relationships. Near muses that staying together may require enduring difficult periods and embracing the passage of many years. However, she brings forth the inevitability that at some point, one person may question the other about their actions, expressing the pain of realizing that the promises they never made have been overshadowed by the depth of their feelings.
In the final paragraph, Near reiterates the perspective that promises are fleeting and often fail to withstand the test of time. She expresses a desire to stay in the present moment, cherishing the love that is being nurtured without wanting it to end. The way they have been making love is meaningful and significant to her, and she does not wish for it to fade away. This conclusion reinforces the central theme that love cannot be confined or guaranteed by promises; it is a continuous journey that unfolds each day.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't you see a promise just makes us feel good now
A promise gives us temporary comfort and reassurance
Then tomorrow, if we break up, one of us will be asking
In the future, if our relationship ends, one of us will question why
How could you do this to me darling
Why did you hurt me, my love?
When we promised life a rose
When we had hopes and dreams for a beautiful future together
The promises that lovers make are wishful thinking I suppose
Promises made in love are often based on unrealistic hopes
How can anyone know if love is forever
It's impossible to determine if love will last eternally
Or only for a moment
Or if it will only be temporary
Stay with me awhile, it may be a long while
Stay with me for some time, it could be a significant duration
Maybe we'll live together and the years will have their way
Perhaps we will share our lives and the passing years will influence us
One morning we will wake up and one of us will say
One day, we will wake up and one of us will express
How could you do this to me darling
Why did you hurt me, my love?
Did you know it from the start
Did you anticipate this outcome from the beginning?
The promises we never made were outlasted by the heart
The unspoken promises endured longer than the explicit ones
And we grew up with the notion that lovers must take a vow
We were raised believing that lovers should make a formal commitment
But I can tell you in this moment as life unfolds each day
However, I can assure you, in this present moment as life progresses
The way that we've been making love
The way we have been expressing our love physically and emotionally
I don't want to go away
I have no desire to separate
Writer(s): Nial Toner, Barry Tashian, Holly Tashian
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.