Amy Grant’s new song, “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm),” uses the 1969 Woodstock festival as a backdrop to ponder if the idealism of the 1960s has faded, prompting reflection on current societal unrest and the possibility of finding…
On January 6th, 2021, a riot occurred at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the electoral votes of the 2020 Presidential election. Five years later, popular Christian singer Amy Grant chose to release a new single reflecting whether that riot marked the end of the 1960s idealism formed by events like Woodstock. Has this idea of peace, love, and let’s change the world for good really diminished?
Grant’s song, “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” references the farm of Max Yasgur in New York, where the Woodstock festival was held in 1969. Known for drug use, nudity, and “free love,” the event was a pivotal moment for the 1960s. But Grant asks in her song, “All that wide-eyed hope / Were we so naive?/ I look ahead and realize we’ve lost our way.” And we have lost our way, haven’t we?
The song also mentions references to Marvin Gaye, John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and Harper’s Ferry. But the 65-year-old artist notes that the biggest theme of the song is unrest. “Maybe there is hope to come together and find the way forward through the unrest. I believe in that hope. I hope this song brings you some, too,” Grant tweeted Thursday in promotion of the song.
With more than 30 million albums sold and 6 Grammy Awards won, Grant believes learning to process this unrest and take action could change the course of history: “I think sitting with unrest is where we ask important questions. What can I do differently? It can be unrest about anything,” she told The Christian Post. “I can’t help but see life through the lens of someone born in 1960, and when I see my children and their children, everything is vying for everyone’s attention.”
While the song is gaining traction with some believers, others are appalled by the politically charged lyrics, believing it betrays many of Grant’s core Christian values. In recent years, Grant has hosted a same-sex wedding for her niece, leaned left of