Music has the power to rouse the spirit and stir the soul. We learned that in the civil rights movement 50 years ago. Today our world is undergoing similarly large upheavals. Just around the corner will be a far more participatory world -- a world where people's ideas are valued more than they are today. Not only will people be more freely able to express themselves, the software tools they use will often be free.

In times like these, songs help encapsulate the changes going on -- and can spur people and institutions to action. Not long ago I was reading the blog of journalism activist Jeff Jarvis. Jeff is known widely as a proponent of a more participatory media.

On his blog I became aware of two intertwined emotions -- a deep frustration at those in the media who don't get it, and great hope for the possiblities once they do. Those same emotions beat in my heart. While reading Jeff Jarvis' blog I had a yearning to encapsulate those emotions in song. The gist of this song would be that the new guard was more than ready to pick up the reins from the old guard. The title of the song suggested itself: "We Can Take It From Here."

A melody and chorus quickly came to mind. My friend Pat Loveless, who has great skill at choosing the right word, helped me compose the first verse. Soon after I videotaped me singing the beginnings of this song and posted this video to YouTube.

This song doesn't belong to me, though. It belongs to all who yearn for a more participatory future. A future where more people will take part in channels of communication, where greater dignity will spread reach those who haven't yet experienced it, where hope will be in the air.


What do you do when you've composed the beginnings of a good song and matched it up to a catchy melody? You ask the Internet for help in writing the remaining verses. That's what you do.

If we're going to build a more participatory future, we should start right here, with the songwriting. And if a song is collaboratively composed, then where should the royalties from song sales go? The royalties should go to some public purpose as designated by the songwriters.

I can think of no more virtuous a purpose than to funnel funds back to Newsforge -- to help pay authors to write new articles about free and open source software solutions. Can you imagine that? People who help compose the lyrics for this song will be giving a gift back to Newsforge when the royalties from the song flow back to Newsforge -- and to the authors whose future ideas have yet to be born.

We like those future ideas, though. They are our nourishment.

And so we are given the chance to build a virtuous circle of freedom. From the lyrics we compose to the songs that we buy to the web sites that we write and read for, we have complete control of production process.

In a world full of turmoil and change, what should a community do? They should forge ahead.


Phil Shapiro





We Can Take It From Here

You've given us a world,
With many a fault,
But a world with great beauty.
You've given us a world,
With many a fault.
But a world with hope a-plenty.

We can take it from here,
We can take it from here,
We can take it from here,
We're telling you.

We can take it from here,
We can take it from here,
We can take it from here,
I'm telling you.

We don't think it's a grand illusion,
To build a world with greater inclusion,
A world where hope spreads far,
An endless human reservoir.