Peace, Love, and Music
“...This he told me. Said, I'm going down to Yasgur's Farm. Gonna join in a rock and roll band. Got to get back to the land and set my soul free.” “Woodstock,” written by Joni Mitchell. The version that sticks with me is sung by Crosby, Stills, and Nash.
Woodstock began on August 15, 1969 on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York—three glorious days of music, rain, and mud (mixed with cow manure). I didn’t get to go. At that time, I was a city kid transplanted to life between a cornfield and a cow pasture. I was only 13 with no older brothers or sisters to take me.
Music greats performed: Richie Havens, Joan Baez, The Who, Santana, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and many more artists and up-and-coming artists of the day. It was folk and rock heaven.
The event was planned for about 50,000. The number of people showing up was estimated at 500,000. Water was scarce, and the porta-potty situation became critical. Vendors ran out of food. But, concertgoers shared what they had with each other. Sandwiches were airdropped and volunteers from the Hog Farm collective (a hippie commune) served up plates of sustenance.
Remarkably, with that huge number of muddy humans elbow to elbow, there was no major violence that needed assistance to bring back order. Harmony and music prevailed.
The sixties certainly had tumultuous events happening (some worked out for the better, and others not so much). During these times, a huge mass of human beings came together on a few days in August,1969 and managed to let peace and music take center stage.
The world would be in much better shape if we just took good care of each other, our planet, and let peace be the headliner.
Some links to read more about Woodstock:
Have a groovy, far-out week and Happy Writing!
