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06/16/2020

Gregory Porter - "Mr Holland" / A song for today's world

Gregory Porter's new tune, "Mr. Holland" a song about equality.

From Soul Tracks Magazine:

The song is an ironic tribute to the white father of an African American teen’s love interest. Gregory Porter says, “Ultimately ‘Mister Holland’ is a song about equality. It’s about the desire for mutual respect and the desire for a young man to be treated like an average teenager. A song of thank you for being treated normal. The implied unspoken experience is the subtle protest of this song. Stevie and Marvin taught us how to groove with a social song, so, thank you Mister Holland.”

Too few young men get the kind of reception that the protagonist wants to receive in “Mr. Holland,” but in his own way, Gregory Porter makes us think that there can be a time when real respect becomes the norm. That’s what we pray for.

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