Three decades after its release, Comox Valley resident Sue Medley鈥檚 smash hit Dangerous Times resonates with the current landscape, in more ways than one.
Medley originally wrote the song in response to the student protests in China that led to the Tiananmen Square Massacre in June of 1989, when Chinese government troops opened fire on pro-democracy residents in the city of Beijing.
The song was on Medley鈥檚 1990 self-titled debut solo album.
The album went gold, and the song reached No. 1 on MuchMusic, and spent 12 weeks atop the 鈥楶op Adult鈥� charts.
鈥淚 can remember, as clear as a bell, the exact moment when I wrote that song,鈥� said Medley. 鈥淚 was watching the news and all of a sudden there were all these images - the tanks, the students - terrible images, and I just cried, because they were young people my age, and I just couldn鈥檛 fathom something like that happening.
鈥淚 literally picked up my guitar, and 10 minutes later, I had written Dangerous Times. It happened that fast. It just kind of wrote itself.鈥�
Fast forward three decades and events unravelling in the United States have an eerie resemblance to the historic Beijing protests.
President Donald Trump has deployed federal troops into numerous American cities to confront protestors, resulting in dangerously violent showdowns.
The similarities are not lost on Medley.
鈥淚t really does make me [shiver],鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a dangerous and slippery slope, when you鈥檝e got unidentified armed federal agents coming in, pulling demonstrators into unmarked cars for questioning鈥� it鈥檚 spine-tingling, is what it is. It鈥檚 very scary. It鈥檚 almost like a dictatorship there. He [Trump] is a dangerous man.鈥�
Medley said she has many friends in the U.S. and the concerns are fairly consistent.
鈥淢y one friend, an engineer that works in L.A., he鈥檚 just frustrated, and so angry at what is happening in the country, and afraid.鈥�
She said the insurgence, as well as the growing opposition to safety precautions introduced for the containment of COVID-19, has created considerable unrest for many of her American friends.
鈥淔riends in Nashville鈥� and Austin - they鈥檙e really worried. They feel like it鈥檚 out of their [hands]. They can鈥檛 stop this train wreck. It is the perfect storm.鈥�
Medley said she could never have imagined her song being so prophetic.
鈥淣o, I certainly could not. I gotta say, it鈥檚 very disturbing.鈥�
Medley lived in Los Angeles for a few years, before returning to Courtenay nearly 10 years ago. She has no regrets.
鈥淚 feel incredibly lucky鈥� so grateful to live in this country, and especially here on Vancouver Island, where we help each other,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am so grateful that I live here.鈥�
***
The following are the lyrics to Dangerous Times:
We are living in dangerous times
And all God鈥檚 children have learned how to fight
Shedding their young blood
Shedding their tears
They can鈥檛 go on living their lives in fear
They鈥檝e watched their empires rise and fall
Ghostly reflections through crumbled walls
So many innocents tried to stand tall
Only to be knocked down, battered and scarred
Someone will conquer, and someone will die
And some of them will just turn their heads
And turn away, in these dangerous times.
A bustle in the kitchen to get supper on
The radio is playing some familiar song
There鈥檚 a lover鈥檚 quarrel, with the TV on
They鈥檙e all unaware of injustice and wrong
Someone will conquer, and someone will die
Some of them will just turn their heads
And turn away, oh鈥�
Don鈥檛 you think it鈥檚 time to tell a nation
This can鈥檛 be right?
Or did someone kill the white dove
In the name of justice, or sacrifice?
All stands quiet in Tiananmen Square today
No sign of trouble, no flowers on the graves
No raging voices, no sign of change
No sign of anything
But their blood-stained message remains
We are living in dangerous times
And all God鈥檚 children have learned how to fight
Shedding their young blood
Shedding their tears
They can鈥檛 go on living their lives in fear.
terry.farrell@blackpress.ca
Like us on and follow us on
