Ain't Gonna Study War No More

Smile For A Saturday (A Day Early)

We were looking for a Smile for a Saturday this week that felt fitting in a time of such pain, sadness, and fear. When we came across what we felt was the perfect song, we felt you shouldn’t have to wait. So, with apologies to alliteration, here is a Smile for a Friday.

We are not sure if this will make you smile, or bring tears to your eyes, or maybe a bit of both. But it spoke to a spirit that we believe unites the vast majority of humankind around the world - a yearning for peace, a recognition of the common bonds of humanity, and an appreciation for the wonders of musical expression.

The song is “Down by the Riverside,” an old African American spiritual that also is called by the name we chose for the title of this newsletter: “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More.” It doesn’t take a PhD in psychology to figure out what was on our mind.

There is no shortage of wonderful performances of the song, and we decided to share a sampling below (including from Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who we profiled last week).

But for our featured performance we chose a particularly special medley. At the center of it all is the incomparable Grandpa Elliott, a famed street musician from New Orleans. He is joined by literally a global chorus of artists.

How fitting. How inspiring. How needed in these difficult days. Prayers for peace are universal, now and always. Down by the riverside.

Here is Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s version…

…and Mahalia Jackson…

…and a recording of Louis Armstrong (music and lyrics)…

…and finally, Pete Seeger.