Peter Alsop‘s SONGS TO CHEW

Latest Episodes:

Shoulder To The Wheel Aug 19, 2022

Show notes

Our SONG TO CHEW today, SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL, was written and performed by Geof Morgan, from my “Ebenezer's Make Over” album. It came out on his Flying Fish recording, "Finally Letting It Go" in 1981. I named this podcast 'SONGS TO CHEW', because if we listen to a song and just 'swallow it' without 'chewing it' a bit, we don't really get to 'taste it' or savor its nuances. I heard Geof sing this one at the 5th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinity in Los Angeles back in the early 80's. The song addresses the fact that the most dangerous occupations in the United States are dominated by men, and the fatality rate at work is 10 times greater for men than women. Men struggle with how to balance our jobs and our health, along with our understanding of gender, sexual identities and orientations. A song like this gives us the opportunity to recognize our triumphs AND see our mis-steps as we continue to work on better ways to build a deeper understanding of our male behaviors in the workplace, at home, and globally, hopefully making this world better for all of us! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!

~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

I Love My Family Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

Today's 'Song To Chew' is "I LOVE MY FAMILY" from my 'Grow It At Home' album. Many kids say they're "embarrassed by their parents", or "my brothers and sisters are soooo annoying!", and yet after all the complaints, they still love their family! When a family has a healthy sense of humor, we laugh WITH each other about some of the ridiculous things we do as human beings. This helps us see a 'bigger picture' of life going on around us. And it's a healthy 'laughter of recognition' that happens, because we recognize the 'out-of-balance' behaviors we each have! Laughing is a valuable coping technique once we learn how to use 'victimless' humor. We can be playful, and release some of the stress that happens to us daily, in our families AND in our society! As we learn to make 'safe places' within our family, we can begin feel to have those 'courageous conversations' we need to have with each other, that allow us to move on without triggering emotional blow-ups. Victimless humor and building safe spaces and trust between family members, is like having a pressure valve to let off some of the traumatic pressure that can build up. Then we don't have to live with the fear that arises when we try to talk about sensitive issues. I’ll be back next week, … with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!

~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

It’s My Penis Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

This week’s SONG TO CHEW was written by Geof Morgan. It's known as THE PENIS SONG or IT'S MY PENIS. I met Geof many years ago at one of the National Association of Men Against Sexism Conferences. He's one of the main voices of the feminist men's movement. We toured together a while through California with Kate Wolfe and Nina Gerber. His songs are wonderful and insightful. I do my 'sing-along' version of this song on two of my albums, "Songs On Sex & Sexuality" and "Ebenezer’s Make Over”. The song really points out how 'loaded' with moral judgements our human sexuality is! Our penis is as much a part of our body as our finger, but it’s so overloaded with symbolism that it doesn’t have much of a chance to just 'be'. My version is a bit silly, but this song's concepts are profound. Many men feel tons of pressure and alienation about our culture's 'laser-like focus' on sex and naked bodies. We may find someone's body attractive, and we want to stare at it, but then we have to be careful that person doesn't see us staring at them! It's worth it to bring this stuff up for conversation, because in order for men to help make the world a better place, first we have to heal ourselves! Check out the podcast below, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!

~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

Pluggin’ Away Jul 29, 2022

Show notes

This week’s SONG TO CHEW is the title cut from my “Pluggin’ Away” album. It's a song about, 'having persistence'; about finding the will to 'keep on trying' when we want to accomplish our goals. The hard part of persistence is figuring out 'how long should we keep on trying', before we decide that we're beating our head against a wall?! As the song says, "People who keep pluggin' away, they're the ones who get things done, 'cause they keep pluggin' away!" There are always tasks to be done that no one wants to do, but our attitude makes the difference between 'awful drudgery', or 'a job that has to be finished, so might as well make it fun!' If we change our story, we change our attitude, and we break our old negative patterns! I’m Peter Alsop. Glad you stopped by! Please invite your friends, and I’ll see you again with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!

~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

What Kind Of Brother? Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Our SONG TO CHEW this week is written and performed by Joe Jencks. It's on my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album, and it's the 'title cut' from his album, "WHAT KIND OF BROTHER ARE YOU?". Joe's song models how men and boys do not have to make jokes at the expense of women and girls, just to 'fit in with the guys'. That stuff's been going on for thousands of years, and it is way past time for a change. Every man knows that if we speak up to a group of men or boys, and go against the accepted practice of joking and making sexual remarks about women and girls, a very powerful 'blow-back response' and abuse happens to us. It happens to anyone who 'goes against the grain'. It takes 'courage' to intervene and object to these unkind behaviors. The abusive joking that focuses on women and girls, is the same kind of abuse that's focused on LGBTQ+ folks and BIPOC people and 'non-Christians', as well as on anyone else who doesn't have the privileges afforded us white heterosexual male Christians in this country. And we've learned to do it, so we can be accepted by our peers. These are the very behaviors that actually shut us down further in the places that we need to grow. They stunt our 'feelings vocabulary' and our appreciation of people who are culturally different; of different genders, sexual orientations, places of origin, religions, ages, abilities and accents, the exposure to which, would only enrich our own experience of going through our own lives, and help us become more aware of the beauty and value of all the other colors and flavors of human beings with whom we share this planet. Check out the podcast, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!

~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

Courage Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

Today's SONG TO CHEW is called COURAGE. We'll listen to the version I recorded for my live “Wake Up!” video with John Ritter, and my friends Irene van der Zande and Timothy Dunphy from Kidpower. They have an organization that teaches kids and families how to keep safe, and out of dangerous situations. We need 'courage' to face something or someone who scares us. 'Courage' comes from the french word 'couer' which means 'heart'. If we pay attention, our heart tells when we're scared, sad, happy or angry! Out heart reacts when we feel danger, and sends a message to our brain to decide if we're gonna fight or run away! Sometimes when we feel scared, we're not sure if we're really in danger, like when someone is being abusive to us. Usually it's best to leave when that happens, but if we have courage and decide to stay and listen, even though it's uncomfortable, sometimes we can talk things through, and our heart calms down and things don't feel so scary! Click the link below to listen, and if you want to see this live concert, go to YouTube.com, type in 'Peter Alsop Courage'! I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!

~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

Slap Hands Jul 08, 2022

Show notes

This week’s SONG TO CHEW is SLAP HANDS, from my “Wha’D’Ya Wanna Do?” album. Giving someone "five"; slapping hands with them is an extension of the more formal 'handshake' between two people. It comes from the age-old practice of offering another person our hand, empty and extended in friendship, to show that we're not holding a weapon and have no intent to harm or injure them. We 'shake hands' to confirm or seal an agreement with another person. It's been used for centuries as a way to show our personal bond to them, and to give our word that we will keep our promise. It's normal to feel a bit afraid to interact with new people or new situations. Fear of new things is a self-protection response, and it goes away as we spend time and become more familiar with things. We feel safer as the 'newness' wears off. This song also gives us a chance to talk about shyness. I don't feel shy very often, but I notice people who look uncomfortable in a group. I love getting my audience to sing-along, because I think reaching out to meet new people is a wonderful way to learn that 'differences between us' provide us with a rich opportunity to grow. Every new experience we have, colors our interactions with other people for the rest of our life! You can follow this podcast and listen to all my other episodes! See you next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’.

~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

I Believe You Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

This week’s SONG TO CHEW, from my “Chris Moose Holidays” album is 'I BELIEVE YOU'. It models how to be a safe place for loved ones and anyone else who might need 'a good listening to'! Did someone ever say to you, "Don't be scared!" Did that really help? It never worked for me! I just knew that person wasn't a 'safe person' to talk to about my fears. I certainly want to be a safe place for my family and friends when they're upset. I learned that if I just listen and BE WITH THEM; give them SUPPORT, they usually figure it out themselves! With a little support, we explore different options, and eventually we find what we need to do to feel better! Sometimes we can ask for suggestions, but when we come up with our own answers, we build up confidence in ourselves for the next time we're upset. It's difficult to know what to do in our lives sometimes, and it really helps to have someone listen and believe us when they hear our story. In order to hear this song and 'chew on it' a bit, just click the link to listen and subscribe! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!

~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

Use It Again Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Our SONG TO CHEW this week, USE IT AGAIN, is from my “Grow It At Home" album. Scott Walker, a social activist from Santa Barbara, called me to see if I had any songs about 'stopping the use of plastic bags in stores'. The City of Santa Barbara wanted to pass a law to eliminate the use of plastic bags, and encourage shoppers to bring our own cloth shopping bags to the store. Waste from plastic bags creates serious environmental danger for humans, animals and even plants! They block stormwater drains and cause flooding during rainstorms. In landfills they take 400 years to degrade! Animals get tangled up, and can drown from plastic bags. Nearly 100 million marine animals die each year directly from eating plastic waste. Plastic is made from oil and making them uses even more fossil fuel, which adds to our climate problems. And when plastics break down in our soil, they release harmful chemicals like BPA, that harm the natural microorganisms that many of our plants depend on for survival. For years we used disposable plastic shopping bags because they were convenient. We didn't understand how dangerous they were for all of us. Fortunately, many cities and states have stopped offering plastic bags to shoppers. Click this link to listen, and please subscribe! See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!

~ Listen and subscribe to "Songs To Chew" = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156

~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

You’re Okay Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Today’s SONG TO CHEW is “YOU’RE OKAY!” from my “Stayin’ Over” album. Each of us have been teased and told that we have something ‘wrong’ with us. Usually when people say "wrong" they mean "different". Most of us want others to like us, but we're afraid that if we're different, other people will avoid us. We'll be ridiculed and isolated, so we try to hide our differences. It's wonderful to be accepted the way we are! The things that embarrass us are the same things that others feel self-conscious about themselves! Each of us have little distinguishing marks and uneven ears or eyes or teeth. We’re human, and the longer we live, the more our bodies change and grow at different rates in different parts. When we hear frequently that there’s 'something wrong’ with us, we internalize this label of being ’wrong’. But when we realize that we’ve been taught to believe these negative ideas about ourselves, we seek out safe healing people and places where we won’t be criticized; where we feel accepted, and can share our struggles. We find support to go on! We're each on our own path through life, and when some critical person needs to point out what they think is "wrong" with us, it only demonstrates their inability to appreciate our differences, don't you think!?

~ LISTEN & subscribe to 'Songs To Chew' = www.peteralsop.podbean.com

~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop

~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos

~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors

~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads

Get full access to Peter Alsop’s Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe