In war and pain, 13 albums

Music listened to while working on this edition (at the request of Susan, Markus and Jayson).

Carole King's A Natural Woman: The Ode Collection 1968-1976

Michael Franti & Spearhead's Yell Fire

The REM Collection Disc 2 Michael Stipe Presents . . . (via UNCUT Masters)

Laura Nyro's Christmas and the Beads of Sweat

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Pack Up The Plantation Live!

John & York/Plastic Ono Band With Elephant's Memory's Some Time in New York City

Ani DiFranco's Reprieve

Ben Harper's Both Sides of the Gun

Jefferson Airplane's Crown of Creation

Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach's Painted From Memory

Carly Simon's Have You Seen Me Lately?

Otis Redding's Otis Blue

The Mamas & The Papas' The Papas & The Mamas

Key lyric, from Laura Nyro's "Christmas in my soul:"

I love my country
as it dies
in war and pain
before my eyes
I walk the streets
where disrespect has been
The sins of politics
the politics of sin
the heartlessness that darkens my soul on Christmas