When Julie Gold wrote “From a Distance” in 1985, she had no idea her ballad—composed on her childhood piano after a period of personal struggle—would become one of the most haunting anthems of peace in modern music history. The song’s message, quiet yet powerful, has echoed across decades of conflict and continues to resonate amid today’s turbulent global landscape.
Originally recorded by Nanci Griffith in 1987, the song’s true cultural breakthrough came in 1990 when Bette Midler included it on her album Some People’s Lives. Midler’s soaring vocals brought new emotional depth to Gold’s lyrics, turning the song into a number one hit on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart and propelling it to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1991, it earned Gold a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.
“From a distance the world looks blue and green, and the snow-capped mountains white.”
In that opening line, the song paints a serene portrait of Earth—a vision free of borders, conflict, or pain. But it’s not just about beauty; it’s about contrast. As the verses unfold, Gold’s lyrics shift from the ethereal to the real, revealing a world that appears peaceful only when viewed from afar.
“From a distance, there is harmony, and it echoes through the land. It’s the voice of hope, it’s the voice of peace, it’s the voice of every man.”
Today, as the world watches the tragedies unfold in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Red Sea, these lyrics feel tragically relevant. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken another devastating turn, marked by intense ground operations in Gaza and accusations of war crimes on both sides. Meanwhile, Israel’s northern tension with Hezbollah and Iran raises fears of a broader regional war.
“God is watching us, from a distance.”
Gold’s lyrics don’t offer answers, but they urge reflection. They suggest that while humanity may be caught in cycles of violence, a divine or moral perspective sees past the hatred and sees us as one. In an age of drone strikes, civilian casualties, and propaganda-fueled nationalism, that line lands with profound force.
In Ukraine, cities like Kharkiv and Mariupol bear the scars of Russian aggression, even as diplomacy stalls and weapons flow from global powers into the region. In the East, tensions between China and Taiwan—particularly with U.S. naval deployments and military drills in the Taiwan Strait—highlight the fragile balance of deterrence and provocation.
It begs the question: what would the world look like “from a distance,” not through the lens of power or ideology, but through compassion?
The universal appeal of “From a Distance” lies in its refusal to name enemies. It speaks not to blame, but to shared humanity. In an era where conflict dominates headlines and nations double down on division, the song’s message may seem naïve to some—but its enduring power lies in its simplicity.
As Bette Midler once said in a live performance: “This is a song about the world we all wish for.” And in that shared wish—perhaps—we find common ground.
