American Lullaby by Dean Friedman

‘American Lullaby’ reflects my personal view of all the crazy, insane stuff that’s been happening, in America – and around the world - for the last six years.

Like all lullabies, it’s filled with tales of dark deeds and disaster, but couched in soft, gentle tones, meant to soothe and comfort the listener, while gently bracing them for the potential terrors that await.

The songs express my admittedly biased perspective as a marginally middle-class American, who’s just as confused, dumbfounded and befuddled by - and incredulous at - recent events, as everyone else.

A few notes about the title track… Despite the very real, if incremental, progress we continue to make, it would be impossible to reflect on America’s current state of turmoil and disarray without acknowledging some of its origins, including our original sins - indigenous genocide and slavery – along with our uniquely enduring addiction to guns.

‘Half Moon’ is the name of a Dutch sailing ship, captained by Hendrick Hudson which, on a September morning in 1609, seeking the legendary Northwest Passage, sailed into the mouth of what’s now called the Hudson River; originally called Mahicantuck – the river that flows two ways - by the indigenous Lenape inhabitants.

The ‘Drinking Gourd’ refers to the ‘Big Dipper’ constellation, a celestial signpost relied on by escaped slaves as a directional guide on their perilous journey north to freedom.

‘Peg Leg Joe’ is a semi-mythical figure said to provide assistance along the way. Paradise is the name of an area adjacent to Las Vegas, site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

We didn’t get here overnight.

The album, ‘American Lullaby’, touches on a broad range of topics, including: the calamitous pandemic, looming environmental disaster, racism, sexism, and an intractable culture war… all exacerbated by our inane and disastrous politics.

All these things really happened – and continue to happen: Every word of ‘The Russians are Coming’ is true - confirmed by the 5-volume, bi-partisan ‘Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian Active Measures, Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election’. A predictable pandemic caused the unnecessary deaths of millions and brought the world to a grinding halt. Clean water is growing scarce, and America’s west coast is burning, the air unbreathable – ‘sorry ‘bout that’. ‘Ridin’ with Biden’ is not just a catchy campaign song – it’s a reminder that we just dodged a bullet, and that the tag team of tyranny and despotism are relentless, with democracy still in its sights.

But, hey! I promise – the album is not all gloom and doom; it’s filled with optimism and faith – not in any god, but in our humanity. I’m insistent on hope, laughter and joy. Our shared emotional trauma is palpable and requires tending to, so some serous silliness is called for. (Hopefully, the full-time residents of ‘Stupid Town’ can take a joke. As for ‘Just Another Birthday Song’, you can’t deny that, after 125 years, the Hill sisters have had a good run.) And for those of us lucky enough to have survived the recent cataclysms, it seems to me it’s incumbent upon us, to not just work to heal our wounded world but, to seize every chance we get to celebrate wonder… and propagate joy.
……………………………………………………

Dean Friedman entered pop consciousness with his Top 20 hit, Ariel, a quirkily irresistible and uncategorizable pop song about a free spirited, pot-smoking, vegetarian Jewish girl in a peasant blouse. Since then, hits like Lucky Stars, Lydia, Rocking Chair, McDonald’s Girl and Woman of Mine have earned him a loyal international following, devoted to his work as a master songsmith and performer.

deanfriedman.com