The rights to the song were sold to help pay for Chet Powers' legal defense. The charge? Marijuana possession. It's true, people used to have to sneak around with their pot."Let's Get Together'' was recorded by a number of groups, beginning with the Kingston Trio and including We Five ("You Were On My Mind'') and Jefferson Airplane. But the version we remember is "Get Together'' released by the Youngbloods in 1967.
The song never charted higher than No. 62 in its first go-around. But thanks to the
National Conference of Christians and Jews, which pushed it into the mainstream in a public service announcement, it went out as a single in 1969 and rose to No. 5. It struck gold on this date 40 years ago.
What a wonderful jingly, jangly tune.
Love is but the song we sing,
And fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Know the dove is on the wing
And you need not know why
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev'rybody get together
Try and love one another right now
Some will come and some will go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moments sunlight
Fading in the grass
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Ev'rybody get together
Try and love one another right now
If you hear the song I sing,
You must understand
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
C'mon people now,
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try and love one another right now
Right now
Right now
Eight years ago today the U.S. began its invasion of Afghanistan with Operation Enduring Freedom. C'mon people now...
It was indeed a nice song and the Youngbloods were a good band, all but forgotten today. I suspect Clear Channel or one of the big radio congloms must have bought the publishing rights to this song because a few years ago, Classic Roch stations suddenly started playing the hell out of it.
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