A Simple Song for a Complex World, from One Generation to the Next
A Grandma's Reflection on Peace, Love, and a Little Song
Song Credits listed below.
30 years ago, I sat next to my 9-year-old daughter in a Cobb County gymnasium as she lifted her guitar, strummed the first chord, and began to sing: "Don't fight, talk it out, that's what peace is all about."
The judges listened attentively. She won 3rd place.
I don’t remember the purpose of the competition, only that it was similar to a science fair. At the time, her message seemed sweetly idealistic. It was before Columbine, but after the Perimeter Mall shooting and the "Going Postal" incidents that introduced new language for public violence.
Decades later, on September 4, 2024, I was reminded of her simple message when news broke of a school shooting in Winder, Georgia, just 45 miles east of that same gymnasium. As I read the details, I found myself returning to my daughter's little song, wondering if I could make a new version for her daughter. To help me with this project, I enlisted the aid of the latest AI music generation tools.
Like any new technology, AI music tools get mixed reviews.
For me, the music they generate will never replace a concert from real musicians, but they allow me to craft music that would otherwise not exist—personalized, from grandmother to granddaughter.
I’m not here to make a political statement. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do think we all have a dark side, and it’s never too early to teach children the value of resisting destructive impulses. Maybe that starts with simplistic messages delivered to our youngest kids.
We know there’s more to the story, that life is full of complexities. We know that sometimes we absolutely must fight. But for our youngest, we start with the basics.
Don’t fight, talk it out. That’s what peace is all about. Hate kills, violence hurts, loving others always works.
Song Credits:
Title: Talk it Out
Lyrics: Nancy Carver
Music Generation: Suno AI
Voice Enhancements: Kits AI
We need more like this!
Lovely 😍