Children Of Woodstock is a song I wrote in 1990 – 21 years after the historic music festival of ‘Peace & Love’ in 1969.  I was only 13 at the time and remember the controversy surrounding the event, music and counterculture movement of the day.  I grew up in this turbulent time of transition during the 60s – as the Vietnam War protests, Civil Rights movement, Women’s Liberation Movement and cultural and musical revolutions first rocked the establishment’s status quo.  It was a time of upheaval that tore the social fabric of the day and ultimately led to a more just society for everyone.  In many respects, I am a Child of Woodstock having lived through those times and embraced the positive social changes that the 60s brought to our society and to the world, “So very long ago, But that love still rolls on, In the heart of a rock and roll child, In the heart of a rock and roll child.”

As with all of my early songs during which I worked with my friend Gordon Olvera, I’ve shared the copyright with him for trying to give voice to my songs.  Also, emailed versions of these songs lose their chord alignment and formatting, so refer to the original post and/or the scanned lyric sheet as your guide.

Children Of Woodstock

“Turn To Face The Music” – Collected Works Volume II, Copyright 1990, Gordon Olvera/Mark Jones, All Rights Reserved

Verse One:

               G                   C

They were coming by the thousands

         G           C

To be part of a dream

            G                     C

Hitching rides from most everywhere

    G                                  D

In nothing but their old blue jeans

            G                        C

It was a time of peace and love

        G                   C

With flowers in their hair

              G                C

Choosing to live a different life

    G                          D

In blue jeans and long hair

          G                      F

Where are all the flower children

          C                 G

Where have they all gone

              Em               Am

From the days of Woodstock

               F                 C

I can hear them in their songs     (x2)

           Em             C

Oh children of Woodstock

          Em             D

Where have you all gone

             Em       D

Country Joe and Jimmy

           C                       D

We will always remember you

              Em                         C

From the days that were Woodstock

            Am  F

So very long ago

             F                    C

But that dream still rolls on

         C             Am              B♭

In the heart of a rock and roll child

         C             Am              B♭

In the heart of a rock and roll child

Verse Two:

                G                     C

They came together in New York

      G                                C

For three days of peace and love

          G                       C

It was nineteen hundred sixty nine

                  G            D

There was a war in Vietnam

                      G                      C

Three hundred thousand people gathered

       G                             C

On a farm they called Woodstock

            G                 C

And the music played on and on

        G                            D

With peace and love in the air

      G                     F

But time has carried on

        C                   G

Woodstock is now a dream

            Em         Am

And the music of today

    F               C

Is made for MTV     (x2)

          Em              C

Oh children of Woodstock

          Em             D

Where have you all gone

         Em                 D

Janice sang the blues for us

            C                                         D

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young rocked on

               Em                         C

For those days that were Woodstock

     Am         F

So very long ago

             F                 C

But that love still rolls on

         C             Am              B♭

In the heart of a rock and roll child

         C             Am              B♭      F

In the heart of a rock and roll child