Though I don’t usually listen to country music, there’s often unpretentious truth in the lyrics. That’s the case with something I heard this morning. NPR aired an interview with Lukas Nelson, son of Willie Nelson. He sang the song (released nine months ago) Turn Off the News (Build A Garden). Sounds like good advice for our times when most of us are watching more news than we probably need to get essential updates and advisories.

Turn off the news and build a garden
Just my neighborhood and me
We might feel a bit less hardened
We might feel a bit more free
Turn off the news and raise your kids
Give them something to believe in
Teach them how to be good people
Give them hope that they can see
Hope that they can see
Turn off the news and build a garden with me

Link to the You Tube video here.

From Rolling Stone, March 26, 2020

Willie Nelson and his sons Lukas and Micah are waiting out the coronavirus pandemic at their Luck Ranch in Spicewood, Texas. The three are killing time with card games, gardening, and lots of music, including last Friday’s Luck Reunion, which drew more than 100,000 online viewers. The trio closed out the livestream with a moving short acoustic set that included Willie’s live staples “Whiskey River” and “On the Road Again,” along with his sons’ original songs. 

One of those highlights was Lukas’“Turn Off the News (Build a Garden),” a song about finding the good in a dark time. It’s the perfect message for our current crisis, with lyrics like “I just want to love you while I can/All these other thoughts have me confused/I don’t need to try and understand/Maybe I’ll get up, turn off the news.”

Ready to get started? Read my blog post—
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Here are all the lyrics to Turn Off the News (Build A Garden).

I believe that every heart is kind
Some are just a little underused
Hatred is a symptom of the times
Lost in these uneducated blues

I just want to love you while I can
All these other thoughts have me confused
I don't need to try and understand
Maybe I'll get up, turn off the news

Turn off the news and build a garden
Just my neighborhood and me
We might feel a bit less hardened
We might feel a bit more free
Turn off the news and raise your kids
Give them something to believe in
Teach them how to be good people
Give them hope that they can see
Hope that they can see
Turn off the news and build a garden with me

Trust builds trust
All that negativity's a bust
Trust builds trust
Don't you wanna be happy?

Turn off the news and build a garden
Just my neighborhood and me
We might feel a bit less hardened
We might feel a bit more free
Turn off the news and raise the kids
Give them something to believe in
Teach them how to be good people
Give them hope that they can see
Hope that they can see
Turn off the news and build a garden with me
Turn off the news and build a garden with me

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Corey Michael Mccormick/ Anthony Ryan Logerfo

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