Sharleen Leahey : Back to the Future?
Have you ever wanted to sail back in time to the sixties, whether you had experienced them fully or lived on either side of that explosive decade?
With her guitar, dark wavy hair, soft and mellow tones and consistent theme of peace, Sharlene Leahey takes us there, not only an accomplished performer and musician but also poet of her own lyrics.
The lyrics, however timeless, address this dark new millennium: invoking the war machine, US imperialism based on the "biggest bombs" we own, racism--the Iraqis are the wrong color and hence not "the good people" that we are; and this war economy that allots so little "for the homeless or the ill."
So Frail is the name of her first CD, published in 2007. The first of the five songs, "Frail" announces Sharleen's theme: "For the sake of our planet so frail / let peace prevail."
A conservative
might say that she gripes but has no answer--not! Take a "listen" to her
solution in another song, "Say No to War":
I've got an idea to heal this planet--say no
to war . . .
it's time to reveal what is real--time to
heal
when are we gonna end this madness?
Each one [of us], reach one [a
child]; each one, teach one
--it's up to you and me . .
.
And
then,
love
I see on every leaf and every tree,
truth so clear unblinded by greed;
let's teach our children to sing . . .
Working on her
second CD, which will be released this summer, Shar
has recorded two songs, "Who Killed Joey?" (which might be the theme song of
Cindy Sheehan and the thousands of other bereaved mothers, families, and friends
of war victims) and "Corporate News."
Who killed Joey?
Do you know who it was?
Can you remember
What was the noble cause?
. . . Was it the Crusader
Who just wanted to be
saved
By turning
ancient countries
into mass graves? . .
.
"Corporate News" berates the corrupt mainstream media for reporting what they want us to know, far from the truth:
. . . sick men
make the rules
and oooh how
they pull the wool and they think we're fools . . .
peace has been hijacked.
It's time to take our airwaves back.
Accompanied by her steal-stringed guitar, her own voice, and an occasional harmonica or flute, Shar has won three awards, sung at numerous festivals, rallies (see blog 3/19/11, the 8th anniversary of the Iraq invasion ) , and other special events and performance venues. She has sung on radio and television and taught guitar.
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