"Painted Shield" a new album by Stone Gossard and Mason Jennings

The lyrics to this song were inspired by the stories of friends of mine who have served in the military. It touches on the recovery work needed to integrate back into civilian life after being in conflict. Also, most of my friends who joined the military were coming from troubled homes and were looking to find a ‘way out’ by joining. This song is about bringing these inner children home to get the love they never received, as well as sending love to the actual children affected by war around the world everyday. There is a tension represented that I hope encapsulates and reflects the human struggle, the struggle for peace and love in the face of violence and fear. ~Mason

Artwork by Regan Hägar