Come on people now/
Smile on your brother/
Everybody get together/
Try to love one another/
Right now.
Does “Get Together” by The Youngbloods have the best chorus of all-time? Not many songs make me feel better when I hear the chorus. The subtle harmonies of The Youngbloods are ridiculous. You almost can’t tell they are harmonizing because they feel like they create one voice. This is a much different type of harmony than other amazing groups like CSNY or The Beach Boys—where you feel a distinct blend of different voices coming together to create something larger than the individual parts.
The universality of “Get Together” is what makes it so inspiring. I know that a lot of people find a lot of comfort in religious songs. I don’t. However, I get what I imagine is a similar feeling of brotherhood, community, and camaraderie when I hear “Get Together”—and that is not an emotion I feel that often from popular music. It feels like this is a great theme song for the current times—regardless of when those times are.
“Get Together” has a lot of the typical characteristics of psychedelic rock: experimental sounds, hi-reverb on vocals, a theme about community or drugs. It is missing that far-out bridge that we usually find in other songs (See Tuesday Afternoon by The Moody Blues or “Alone Again Or” by Love), but this song feels strongly in that tradition.
Get Together Lyrics
Love is but a song to sing
Fear’s the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment’s sunlight
Fading in the grass
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It’s there at your command
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
I said, come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Right now
Right now
written by Chester Powers (The Youngbloods)
You say your not moved by religious songs but, this is one. “When the One who left us here, Returns for us at last” is about Jesus Christ. At the assertion when Christ left the Disciples to return to His Father in heaven the disciples were told of His second coming when He will return to gather His Fathers children.
And what were the 2 greatest commands Christ gave His followers? Love the Lord your God with all your strength and Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Be Blessed.
RCFallis
Amen