I think the song is a meditation on violence and nonviolence in the context of confronting injustice. It clearly acknowledges that sometimes they end up overlapping: just because your approach is nonviolent, that doesn't mean that the folks on the side of injustice (not that they see themselves that way) will necessarily respond with nonviolence. (This is something I have noticed a lot about people who are opposed to civil rights/liberties: they're so angry, it hardly seems surprising that they often end up becoming violent. And while I wasn't around then, I have no doubt that they were angry in the 1960s too.)
Like so many phrases and quotes from the Bible, the idea of betraying someone with a kiss can be used metaphorically. I think it probably does refer to Jesus here, but it's possible that it's a reference to someone else who was "betrayed with a kiss," in the sense that their betrayer was still pretending to be their friend even after having betrayed them. (There doesn't have to have been any actual guy-on-guy kissing going on or anything.)
I admit that this happened well before my time, but IIRC, King was murdered in the evening, not the morning. So (although I guess I have to include a disclaimer that I agree with everyone that the reference to MLK is obvious) technically it isn't the exact time and date of his death. Somehow, even though of course I had been familiar with the song forever (more or less), I had never noticed this discrepancy until recently when we sang it in my church choir. (the choral arrangement is pretty good, although there are some things I would have done differently.) I'm guessing it was just a mistake, although I have no doubt that some clever person on this forum will come up with an interpretation of its hidden meaning.
Any thoughts as to what the lyric "One man come and go" means? My impression is that it's supposed to be a foil to the previous line, like maybe on the one hand, you have someone who is willing to take a stand "in the name of love," and on the other, someone who doesn't really care (at least, not enough to actually do anything or take any risks).
Do you think that "one man come, he to justify" is meant in a positive way, or do you think it means justifying as in rationalising or making excuses? I noticed a couple of elements of this song that are ambiguous that way, in that they could mean something cool or something not-so-cool. "Pride" is another example: it can mean arrogance, but it can also mean self-respect or dignity. I wonder if the ambiguous word choice was perhaps intentional. (Perhaps I am over-analysing...but then, isn't that what this forum exists for?)
I think the song is a meditation on violence and nonviolence in the context of confronting injustice. It clearly acknowledges that sometimes they end up overlapping: just because your approach is nonviolent, that doesn't mean that the folks on the side of injustice (not that they see themselves that way) will necessarily respond with nonviolence. (This is something I have noticed a lot about people who are opposed to civil rights/liberties: they're so angry, it hardly seems surprising that they often end up becoming violent. And while I wasn't around then, I have no doubt that they were angry in the 1960s too.)
Like so many phrases and quotes from the Bible, the idea of betraying someone with a kiss can be used metaphorically. I think it probably does refer to Jesus here, but it's possible that it's a reference to someone else who was "betrayed with a kiss," in the sense that their betrayer was still pretending to be their friend even after having betrayed them. (There doesn't have to have been any actual guy-on-guy kissing going on or anything.)
I admit that this happened well before my time, but IIRC, King was murdered in the evening, not the morning. So (although I guess I have to include a disclaimer that I agree with everyone that the reference to MLK is obvious) technically it isn't the exact time and date of his death. Somehow, even though of course I had been familiar with the song forever (more or less), I had never noticed this discrepancy until recently when we sang it in my church choir. (the choral arrangement is pretty good, although there are some things I would have done differently.) I'm guessing it was just a mistake, although I have no doubt that some clever person on this forum will come up with an interpretation of its hidden meaning.
Any thoughts as to what the lyric "One man come and go" means? My impression is that it's supposed to be a foil to the previous line, like maybe on the one hand, you have someone who is willing to take a stand "in the name of love," and on the other, someone who doesn't really care (at least, not enough to actually do anything or take any risks).
Do you think that "one man come, he to justify" is meant in a positive way, or do you think it means justifying as in rationalising or making excuses? I noticed a couple of elements of this song that are ambiguous that way, in that they could mean something cool or something not-so-cool. "Pride" is another example: it can mean arrogance, but it can also mean self-respect or dignity. I wonder if the ambiguous word choice was perhaps intentional. (Perhaps I am over-analysing...but then, isn't that what this forum exists for?)