In memory of reformasi

Chicago’s Dialogue parts 1 & 2

Chicago’s Dialogue 1 & 2 was a stirring song for me. When Gough Whitlam and the Australian Labor Party won the 1972 Australian general election, we all had hope. One day after the election, Whitlam formed a 2 person cabinet and jumped quickly into reforms. I remember Whitlam pulling Australia out of the needless war in Vietnam.

The government had a traumatic 3 years until Whitlam was sacked as Prime Minister by Sir John Kerr and a general election was held. Whitlam lost in a landslide and Malcolm Fraser became prime minister. At the time, we felt betrayed by the system that brought Whitlam down.

A television movie was made about that time. It is certainly worth watching:

Forward to 1998. I was in Kuala Lumpur the day Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as deputy prime minister by Mahathir. I remember solders on every street corner in Setapak Garden. Reformasi came to Malaysia. Anwar’s jailing brought about a 25 year journey for justice and reformasi.

In both cases where the last line says “We can make it hap…” signified that dashing of my hopes. Two times in my life I felt betrayed. Our hopes and aspirations for the future were just abruptly cut.

Why is this song moving?

Dialogue 1 & 2 was written by Robert Lamm and recorded in 1972. The first time I heard it I felt liberated. I felt hope. The lyrics of the song (below) is a conversation between Terry Kath (first person) and Peter Cetera 2^nd person). Keth was an optimist, thinking about what could be done to change the world when his generation had the power. Cetera was ambivalent to things and never thought about issues very deeply, accepting the establishment narrative. The dialogue was an exchange about opening another’s eyes to reality.

The cappella in the second part is powerful and moving, signally being metaphoric of what people can do when they are united. The abrupt ending is the warning for us. Do we change when we get older? Are there forces that prevent us from achieving change?

That’s where we seem to be today.

I am still the optimistic Kath (although he died unfortunately by literally shooting a bullet into his head). I still hold on the final mantra of the song. It’s the revolution we all hoped for.

Cetera warned us "If you had my outlook, your feelings would be numb; you'd always think that everything was fine." Too many of us are numb today, unattached and ignorant. This has been taken advantage of by the establishment.

The abrupt ending to the song is now symbolic of the censorship we have all suffer.

The Lyrics

[Part I]

[Terry Kath]
Are you optimistic 'bout the way things are going?

[Peter Cetera]
No, I never ever think of it at all

[Terry Kath]
Don't you ever worry
When you see what's going down?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I try to mind my business, that is, no business at all

[Terry Kath]
When it's time to function as a feeling, human being
Will your bachelor of arts help you get by?

[Peter Cetera]
I hope to study further, a few more years or so
I also hope to keep a steady high
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah

[Terry Kath]
Will you try to change things?
Use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas?

[Peter Cetera]
What is this power you speak of and the need for things to change?
I always thought that everything was fine
Everything is fine

[Terry Kath]
Don't you feel repression just closing in around?

[Peter Cetera]
No, the campus here is very, very free

[Terry Kath]
Don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?

[Peter Cetera]
Well, I hope the president knows what he's into, I don't know
Ooh, I just don't know, yeah

[Terry Kath]
Don't you ever see the starvation in the city where you live?
All the needless hunger, all the needless pain?

[Peter Cetera]
Ooh, I haven't been there lately, the country is so fine
My neighbors don't seem hungry 'cause they haven't got the time
Haven't got the time

[Terry Kath]
Thank you for the talk, you know, you really eased my mind
I was troubled by the shapes of things to come

[Peter Cetera]
Well, if you had my outlook, your feelings would be numb
You'd always think that everything was fine
Everything was fine

[Part II]

[All]
We can make it better
We can make it better
We can make it better
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can change the world now
We can save the children
We can save the children
We can save the children
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen (We can make it happen)

[Instrumental Break]

[All]
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
Oh

[Instrumental Break]

[All]
We can save the children
We can save the children
We can save the children
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen
We can make it happen

[Outro]
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happen, yeah
We can make it happen
We can make it happ—

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