Yoko Ono wrote the song “Ode to Meadow” to reflect on John, Sean and their family dog, and gifted it to the “Home on the Range” CD that will be released on Friday, June 24.
She explains the song: “Once, Sean and I had a very sad and bitter experience. Our dog, Merry, who was the last Xmas present from John to Sean just disappeared from our farm house. We didn’t know what happened. We kept thinking ‘What could have happened?!’ Sean and I never discussed it. It was just too painful. Some time after, Sean got a new dog so I thought he had forgotten about Merry. But one day 10 years later, Sean and I were looking at old family photos and there was Merry... looking so good, just as she used to. Tears rolled down from Sean’s eyes, though he didn’t say anything. Merry is still in our hearts.”
Her passionate track, and twenty others, is part of “Home on the Range,” a benefit compilation album which includes unreleased and exclusive tracks by established, outspoken artists who are passionate about animal rights and environmental issues.
“Home on the Range” was conceived and produced by Kneel Cohn (Warshow Angels) to raise funds for farm animal sanctuaries and to advocate on behalf of abused and neglected animals. All of the songs on “Home on the Range” were donated by artists who have had a voice in the peaceful, compassionate lifestyle movement. High profile artists like Chrissie Hynde, Moby, Howard Jones, Conor Oberst, and Joan Jett have long promoted plant-based diets and animal rights activism.
Broadway / stage star Nellie McKay, electroclash/rap artist Princess Superstar, and CFEI founders Karen Ellis-Ritter and Joshua Ritter of Modern Day Alchemy also contribute music to the compilation.
Other artists represent many genres, eras, and creative mediums: Fred Mascherino (The Color Fred) from Taking Back Sunday, Last Amendment (Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine from anarchist punk group Crass with Tony Barber from Buzzcocks), Stephen R Burroughs (Head of David), Justin Sane (ANTI-FLAG), The Giving Tree Band (leading the eco-friendly music production and manufacturing movement), Micah Tamblyn (Dropa), Share Ross (Vixen) and Bam Ross (The Dogs D’Amour) are The Lovestains, Joy Askew, and Early Melodic Animals (actor/activist JD Parsons, filmmaker Riz Story, Daniel Hudson and Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins).
The Warshow Angels track is available for free download and stream here: https://soundcloud.com/user-701745077/warshow-angels-bang-bang-love
“Home on the Range” will be available as a digital download through iTunes, Amazon and Google Music worldwide on June 24th. The physical CD will be for sale at select retailers throughout North America, UK and Europe and online directly from CD Baby. A corresponding documentary is viewable for free here https://youtu.be/eBV8pBn7pc0.
Through CFEI, a 501c3, proceeds from this album will be donated to several non-profit farm animal sanctuaries throughout the U.S. including Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Happy Trails Farm Sanctuary, Kindred Spirits, and Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Collectively, their mission is to rescue, feed, and provide a safe shelter for abused and neglected farm animals.
For more information about the project, please visit homeontherangebenefit.org.
