The Turn Of The Tide

In 1987 the book Free to Be A . . . Family by Marlo Thomas came out and a corresponding TV special aired as well; it was a sequel to the 1970s Free to Be . . . You and Me which I've never read. I was 16 years old when the second book was released and I saw the TV special one night. I must have wanted to watch it because I even video taped it. I absolutely loved this song, "The Turn of the Tide", that was written and performed by Carly Simon. I watched it over and over again just to hear the song. The sheet music is included in the book, which I also have. It's a hard song to sing unless you have Ms. Simon's fabulous voice.

To me, the song was an anthem for the youth of the 80s--that it was OUR world and OUR responsibility to help "turn the tide."

We cannot go on
sounding alarms
And rattling swords
and building bombs
And fouling the air
and the streams underground.
We've got to begin
to turn it around!
It's our right to be heard,
Our right to decide--
Here comes the turn of the tide.

Maybe our generation hasn't done everything it should or could have so far to turn it around, but we still have a responsibility to change what we can, however we can. This song is just over 20 years old, and while I may not have quite the positive outlook that I had about the world and the future when I was teenager, I have a duty now as a parent to bring about some meaningful change.

Meanwhile, I'm enjoying this video again after so many years. It really brings back the 80s for me! Note the kids who sing between verses are singing in Russian! (This was the world in the mid 80s when the USSR was our enemy.) And Carly Simon looks great!