This song was born one year on my way home to Israel one summer, when I spent the whole 11-hour flight watching movies. My favorite of that trip was The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I loved the quote from the movie, “In the end, everything will be alright, and if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.” Then I remembered John Lennon’s similar quote, and the song’s chorus started singing in my head. And then the rest of the song wrote itself. On tough days, I love that my husband will often sing this to me, to remind me that I wrote it…
A wise man said, “In the end, everything will be alright,
And if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”
A wise man said, “In the end, everything will be alright,
And if it’s not alright, it’s not the end.”
Israel and Palestine, China and Tibet,
India and Pakistan, no forgive and forget.
Liberals and Conservatives, Blacks and whites,
My way or the highway, But who is right?
Chorus
Tamils and Sri Lankans, Turks and Kurds,
Democrats and Republicans, Cats and Birds,
Every story has a drama, like Jerry and Tom
Do we get the point, ‘cause the lists go on and on……
So what’s gonna make us
Reach across the aisle?
Stop the fighting,
Shake hands, maybe smile?
chorus
Sittin’ round the table, gotta work things out
Making peace with enemies, that’s what it’s all about
We all need the same things, We all bleed red
Safe food, safe water, safe place to rest our head….
Chorus
credits
from Days of Honey, Days of Onions,
released April 1, 2021
Joanie Calem guitar and vocals, Tom Boyer vocals, Michael Barone vocals, Neil Havener vocals, Emmy Beach vocals
Joanie Calem is a folk musician, singer/song-writer, storyteller and inclusion advocate for audiences of all ages. Joanie
writes songs and sings about life's different twists and turns, angles and perspectives, telling stories through her songs of the ups and downs of reality. She performs regularly at festivals, retirement homes, shelters, libraries and schools throughout the US and abroad....more
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