Waiting on the World to Change

When Noah graduated from high school, one of his (many) graduation gifts was 4‑second row tickets to the John Mayer concert at Jones Beach on Long Island. He told me many times that it was the best graduation present he received (he took 3 girls along.) I like John Mayer's music, too. I know -- I’m the wrong demographic. He’s not my favorite artist, but I think his music is pleasant: he has an easy style and the musicianship is very good. I don’t listen to his music because it is thought provoking nor because it rocks. It’s just good listening music.

The other day I picked up his latest studio release, “Continuum”. The first song on the CD is entitled, “Waiting on the World to Change” and it irked me a bit, so I decided to pop in and comment:

Dear John Mayer:

You say

me and all my friends we're all misunderstood

they say we stand for nothing and
there's no way we ever could
now we see everything that's going wrong with the world
and those who lead it
we just feel like we don't have the means to rise above and beat it

so we keep waiting
waiting on the world to change
we keep on waiting
waiting on the world to change

When you say, “we're all misunderstood, they say we stand for nothing and there's no way we ever could, now we see everything that's going wrong with the world and those who lead it” I’m sure you think that is a new sentiment -- one that is unique to your generation, but I seem to recall that many of us said the same thing in the ‘60’s -- but we got active… we even managed to get the voting age lowered to 18. We volunteered. We participated. We worked to change things from the inside. We educated ourselves on the issues of our day (which, not surprisingly, were The War, the economy, nuclear proliferation, immigration, taxes, social security, health care… hmmmm.)

You and all of your friends have the same means as the rest of us to “rise above it” and influence your world: it’s called THE VOTE. If you get out and vote, then those people you choose to represent you will do your bidding. If you find a candidiate that you believe in, go volunteer for the campaign. Register voters. If you’re just going to sit around “waiting on the world to change” then you have no one to blame but yourselves when it doesn't (change).

Then you say

it's hard to beat the system

when we're standing at a distance

so we keep waiting waiting on the world to change

now if we had the power to bring our neighbors home from war

they would have never missed a Christmas

no more ribbons on their door

and when you trust your television

what you get is what you got

cause when they own the information,

oh they can bend it all they want

As for not having the means to “beat the system”… why would you want to beat a system that pays you so well to do what you love and one that permits you to say whatever it is on your mind? And again, if you are “standing at a distance” it is a choice you made not to participate in the process of government. As I stated previously, you DO have the power. (See comment on voting, above.) But as for “bringing our neighbors home from war” -- really, John, there is nothing we’d like better. We are ALL for peace and love (ok, most of us). I certainly am. But please enlighten us all, John, and let us know how you think we should stop the monsters of the world when United Nations’ resolutions don’t work and diplomatic means have all failed. Please, do tell, John, how you keep America safe from such madmen?? Finally, we don’t trust the information from the television either and we finally agree on something -- that news is bent, John -- but no one “owns” the information -- it’s why there is the Internet and, more specifically, blogs. You just have to want to find the truth.

You continue with

that's why we're waiting waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change

If you’re just going to sit around “waiting on the world to change” then you have no one to blame but yourself.

it's not that we don't care,

we just know that the fight ain't fair

so we keep on waiting

waiting on the world to change

Is the fight not fair, John, or the system… or just that “your guy” didn’t win? (See first comment above about voting.) And there are people in your generation who do care and have proven it: the soldiers who have volunteered to fight… to defend. They are the ones that have raised their hands and said, “This we’ll defend.” They aren’t sitting around whining about how “the fight ain’t fair” (how ironic given that they are actually fighting in a REAL fight that ain’t fair.) These young men and women have chosen to protect a form of government and the rights guaranteed by that system even though they agree that the system isn’t perfect.

and we're still waiting

waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting

waiting on the world to change

one day our generation is gonna rule the population

so we keep on waiting

waiting on the world to change

we keep on waiting waiting on the world to change

Some day “your generation” will be the majority voice, John… but you’re all still going to have to get out and vote, participate and volunteer in order for your voices to be heard. If you’re just going to sit around “waiting on the world to change” then you have no one to blame but yourself. If you are not part of the solution, John, then you are part of the problem.

Lastly, I point out to the young Mr. Mayer that his video for this song features him walking through his beloved New York City interspersed with video of some rather old looking graffiti artists painting buildings with such provocative things as the symbol for nuclear content, guns, and the words “Exploited”, “Think”, etc. Oddly, John, I didn’t see any video or images of the World Trade Center/Ground Zero… hmmmm.

Copyright Some Soldier's Mom 2006. All rights reserved.