Light One Candle: Difference between revisions

"Light One Candle"
"Light One Candle"
Song by Peter, Paul and Mary
from the album No Easy Walk to Freedom
Published	December 11, 1982
Released	1986
Genre	Folk
Length	3:04
Label	Gold Castle
Songwriter(s)	Peter Yarrow

Browse history interactively

← Previous edit

Content deleted Content added

VisualWikitext

Inline

Latest revision as of 18:24, 8 December 2023

"Light One Candle" is a song by the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. It is a popular Hanukkah song. Peter, Paul, and Mary performed the song in concerts starting in 1982, before recording it for their 1986 studio album No Easy Walk to Freedom.

The lyrics commemorate the war of national liberation fought by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Greek empire from 167 to 141 BCE, a war described in the Books of the Maccabees and commemorated by the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

History

The first performance of the song was at a 1982 concert in Carnegie Hall.^[1]

The song was written in 1982^[2] by group member Peter Yarrow as a pacifist response to the 1982 Lebanon War, an intention was reflected in the lyrics "Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice justice and freedom demand, Light one candle for the wisdom to know when the peacemaker's time is at hand."^[3]^[1]

In 1983, when the trio performed the song at an outdoor concert in Jerusalem, a country torn over the Lebanon War, they added lyrics to address the political complexities faced by their audience: "Light one candle for the strength that we need to never become our own foe. Light one candle for those who are suffering, pain we learned so long ago. Light one candle for all we believe in, let anger not tear us apart. Light one candle to bind us together with peace as the song in our heart..."^[3] When they repeated the chorus "Don't let the light go out, It's lasted for so many years. Don't let the light go out, Let it shine through our love and our tears," the politically mixed audience cheered.^[3]

Critic Andrew Silow-Carroll dismisses the lyrics, "Light one candle for the Maccabee children / With thanks their light didn’t die; / Light one candle for the pain they endured / When their right to exist was denied," as a boringly didactic history lesson.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b Chisvin, Sharon (9 December 2017). "Hearing the sweet sounds of peace". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
^ "Copyright Catalog (1978 to present): Light one candle / words and music by Peter Yarrow". cocatalog.loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rubin, Trudy (24 June 1983). "Peter, Paul and Mary bring a song for peace to a divided Israel". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
^ Silow-Carroll, Andrew (3 December 2018). "I'm dreaming of a Hanukkah song as good as 'White Christmas'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 25 December 2018.

This 1980s pop song-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[ChisvinPeace-1] Chisvin, Sharon (9 December 2017). "Hearing the sweet sounds of peace". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

[2] "Copyright Catalog (1978 to present): Light one candle / words and music by Peter Yarrow". cocatalog.loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 February 2018.

[RubinIsrael-3] Rubin, Trudy (24 June 1983). "Peter, Paul and Mary bring a song for peace to a divided Israel". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

[SilowCarroll-4] Silow-Carroll, Andrew (3 December 2018). "I'm dreaming of a Hanukkah song as good as 'White Christmas'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 25 December 2018.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Infobox song
-'''Light One Candle''' is a song created by the singing group, [[Peter, Paul and Mary]].  It is a popular [[Chanukah]] song.
+| name       = Light One Candle
+| cover      =
+| alt        =
+| type       = song
+| artist     = [[Peter, Paul and Mary]]
+| album      = [[No Easy Walk to Freedom]]
+| EP         =
+| written    =
+| published  = {{start date|1982|12|11}}<!--see copyright catalog citation-->
+| released   = 1986
+| format     =
+| recorded   =
+| studio     =
+| venue      =
+| genre      = [[folk music|Folk]]
+| length     = 3:04
+| label      = [[Gold Castle Records|Gold Castle]]
+| writer     = [[Peter Yarrow]]
+| composer   =
+| lyricist   =
+| producer   =
+| prev_title =
+| prev_year  =
+| title      =
+| next_title =
+| next_year  =
+| prev_track =
+| track_no   =
+| next_track =
+}}
+'''"Light One Candle"''' is a song by the folk group [[Peter, Paul and Mary]]. It is a popular [[Hanukkah music|Hanukkah song]]. Peter, Paul, and Mary performed the song in concerts starting in 1982, before recording it for their 1986 studio album ''[[No Easy Walk to Freedom]]''.
-The lyrics commemorate the [[Wars of national liberation|war of national liberation]] fought by the [[Maccabees]] against a Greek empire from 140 to 63 BCE, a war described in the [[Books of the Maccabees]] and commemorated by the Jewish holiday of [[Chanukah]].
+The lyrics commemorate the [[Wars of national liberation|war of national liberation]] fought by the [[Maccabees]] against the Seleucid Greek empire from 167 to 141 BCE, a war described in the [[Books of the Maccabees]] and commemorated by the Jewish holiday of [[Hanukkah]].
 ==History==
+The first performance of the song was at a 1982 concert in [[Carnegie Hall]].<ref name="ChisvinPeace">{{cite news|last1=Chisvin|first1=Sharon|title=Hearing the sweet sounds of peace|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/hearing-the-sweet-sounds-of-peace-462959243.html|accessdate=14 December 2017|publisher=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|date=9 December 2017}}</ref>
+The song was written in 1982<ref>{{cite web|title=Copyright Catalog (1978 to present): Light one candle / words and music by Peter Yarrow.|url=http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=8&ti=1,8&SC=Author&SA=Yarrow%2C%20Peter%2C%201938-&PID=e2WOPzGZ5SnYGfI3pS64fxImYNH9D&SEQ=20180221213444&SID=5|website=cocatalog.loc.gov|publisher=Library of Congress|accessdate=22 February 2018}}</ref> by group member [[Peter Yarrow]] as a pacifist response to the [[1982 Lebanon War]], an intention was reflected in the lyrics "Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice justice and freedom demand, Light one candle for the wisdom to know when the peacemaker's time is at hand."<ref name="RubinIsrael">{{cite news|last1=Rubin|first1=Trudy|title=Peter, Paul and Mary bring a song for peace to a divided Israel|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0624/062458.html|accessdate=14 December 2017|publisher=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=24 June 1983}}</ref><ref name="ChisvinPeace"/>
-The first performance of the song was at a 1982 concert in [[Carnegie Hall]].<ref name="ChisvinPeace">{{cite news|last1=Chisvin|first1=Sharon|title=Hearing the sweet sounds of peace|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/faith/hearing-the-sweet-sounds-of-peace-462959243.html|accessdate=14 December 2017|publisher=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|date=9 December 2017}}</ref>
+In 1983, when the trio performed the song at an outdoor concert in Jerusalem, a country torn over the Lebanon War, they added lyrics to address the political complexities faced by their audience: "Light one candle for the strength that we need to never become our own foe. Light one candle for those who are suffering, pain we learned so long ago. Light one candle for all we believe in, let anger not tear us apart. Light one candle to bind us together with peace as the song in our heart..."<ref name="RubinIsrael"/> When they repeated the chorus "Don't let the light go out, It's lasted for so many years. Don't let the light go out, Let it shine through our love and our tears," the politically mixed audience cheered.<ref name="RubinIsrael"/>
-The song was written by group member [[Peter Yarrow]] as a pacifist response to the [[1982 Lebanon War]], an intention was reflected in the lyrics,  ''"Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice justice and freedom demand, Light one candle for the wisdom to know when the peacemaker's time is at hand."''<ref name="RubinIsrael">{{cite news|last1=Rubin|first1=Trudy|title=Peter, Paul and Mary bring a song for peace to a divided Israel|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1983/0624/062458.html|accessdate=14 December 2017|publisher=[[Christian Science Monitor]]|date=24 June 1983}}</ref><ref name="ChisvinPeace"/>
+Critic Andrew Silow-Carroll dismisses the lyrics, "Light one candle for the Maccabee children / With thanks their light didn’t die; / Light one candle for the pain they endured / When their right to exist was denied," as a boringly didactic history lesson.<ref name="SilowCarroll">{{cite news |last1=Silow-Carroll |first1=Andrew |title=I'm dreaming of a Hanukkah song as good as 'White Christmas' |url=https://www.jta.org/2018/12/03/opinion/im-dreaming-hanukkah-song-good-white-christmas-2?mpweb=1161-7846-92365 |accessdate=25 December 2018 |publisher=[[Jewish Telegraphic Agency]] |date=3 December 2018}}</ref>
-In 1983, when the trio performed the song at an outdoor concert in Jerusalem, Israel, a country under constant security threat and politically torn over the Lebanon War and the question of how to respond to the threat posed by [[Hezbollah]], they added lyrics to address the political complexities faced by their audience, ''"Light one candle for the strength that we need to never become our own foe, Light one candle for those who are suffering, pain we learned so long ago.  Light one candle for all we believe in, let anger not tear us apart. Light one candle to bind us together with peace as the song in our heart..."''<ref name="RubinIsrael"/>  When they repeated the chorus,  ''"Don't let the light go out, It's lasted for so many years. Don't let the light go out, Let it shine through our love and our tears,"'' the politically mixed audience cheered.<ref name="RubinIsrael"/>
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+{{Peter, Paul and Mary}}
+{{Hanukkah Footer}}
+{{authority control}}
 [[Category:Hanukkah music]]
 [[Category:Peter, Paul and Mary songs]]
+[[Category:1982 songs]]
 [[Category:Protest songs]]
+[[Category:Songs written by Peter Yarrow]]
+{{1980s-pop-song-stub}}

v t e Peter, Paul and Mary
Peter Yarrow Paul Stookey Mary Travers
Studio albums	Peter, Paul and Mary Moving In the Wind A Song Will Rise See What Tomorrow Brings The Peter, Paul and Mary Album Album 1700 Late Again Peter, Paul and Mommy No Easy Walk to Freedom In These Times
Compilation albums	The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary: Ten Years Together Songs of Conscience and Concern
Live albums	In Concert Peter, Paul & Mommy, Too
Singles	"Lemon Tree" "If I Had a Hammer" "Puff, the Magic Dragon" "500 Miles" "Blowin' in the Wind" "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" "Stewball" "Tell It on the Mountain" "The Times They Are a-Changin'" "When the Ship Comes In" "San Francisco Bay Blues" "Early Morning Rain" "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" "Too Much of Nothing" "Day Is Done" "Leaving on a Jet Plane"
Other songs	"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" "And When I Die" "Boa Constrictor" "El Salvador" "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" "This Land Is Your Land" "Light One Candle"
Related articles	Discography Albert Grossman