Busy morning here in Arlington on both sides of the big river. They are active on Capitol Hill on a variety of topics, including calls for impeachment for a few Administration personalities. We have been through this fairly frequently of late, so it may be time to put down our burdens and do a little critical thinking about what we have got ourselves into this time.

On the Patio at Big Pink we sometimes slip into group song in the evening. A favorite has been “Down by the Riverside,” a pleasant tune with some emotion to it. We are aware that there is some baggage that goes along with the tune, since it was derived from what used to be called the “Spiritual” tradition.

Even bringing up the topic could get us in trouble these days, on grounds of ‘appropriation,’ though we are not quite sure what that means these days. Our version is also known as “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More” and “Gonna lay down my burden.” Roots of the tune go back before the American Civil War. Other titles have been affixed to the song. We served with Academy people from Annapolis and West Point, so there has always been a sort of irony to those trained in the study of armed conflict when the stanza rises.

“Ain’ go’n’ to study war no mo’,” “Going to Pull My War-Clothes” and “Study war no more.” We are safe only through retirement, since this Monday brings us news of war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, with the ominous prospect of martial activity in the Far East.

Because of its pacifistic imagery, we have used “Down by the Riverside” with a certain irony. It isn’t just us. It also been used as a protest song, and the images of hundreds or thousands in the streets is an evocative paean for peace. Our evening tune has several lyrical variations, though usually, each stanza follows a standard form, with one sentence that differs from one stanza to the next. The song often begins:

Gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside,
Down by the riverside.
Gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside

The chorus makes us join in a pacifist chorus that made this song :

I ain’t gonna study war no more
Study war no more
Ain’t gonna study war no more!

What strikes us this morning is the realization that there is not only ‘war’ this morning, but that our grandchildren will be the next generation to feel the horror, and they are not far away from it. For what it is worth, we support the idea of “peace,” which is something we thought we would see more of. But this morning it isn’t. We honestly thought this was going to be different- improving a little each year.

As it turns out, we have a generation who are going to have to pick up some burdens. And there is a chilly river in there as well. We are pleased we are not going to have to learn to swim. That is already taken care of.

Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com