Standing in a Karaoke bar with hundreds of political activists at Netroots Nation 2012 in Providence, RI was odd, at first. It was early, and there needed to be several more drinks before people got their voices oiled, so I watched and tried to get something out of the songs that folks chose.
As the night kept getting later, it was clear that these were folks who wanted to get their party on. From the rousing version of Adele's Rolling In The Deep to some decidedly dance-worthy numbers that were fun but challenging for the singers, this night was made for belting out classics and moving with the beat.
It was 2 days after Scott Walker "won" the recall election in Wisconsin. There are a thousand analyses out in the bologosphere about the whys and hows and the details of the election, the movements leading up to it, and so much more, so I won't dig into that here.
As progressives, we cherish each precious victory that we score. The People win when progressives win, and corporations and incredibly evil people win when we lose, so we feel those defeats even more acutely -- viscerally, even. In the belly, heart, and soul.
So we drank, we sang, and we watched people give it their best shot, and we danced right along.
The last song of the night was a memorable pop-rock classic. Though musically not very inventive, it does get people singing along pretty damned easily. Journey's Don't Stop Believin' was the last singer's choice.
Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
It always bothered me that it opens with a bit of a lie; there is no place called "South Detroit." Though I remembered that as the song played, I let it slide in my head and sang right along with it.
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
And truly, this movie never ends; there will always be a tomorrow for us to fight for, and the world will always need changing in some way, even if it's just helping some activists and die-hard radicals and humble teachers and rank and file union members salve wounds at the end of a long, long battle for justice. As many of my Wisconsin friends reminded me, we did win, in ways that we will see over the next 10 years or more.
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlight, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight, people . . .
