Disclaimer: Carole King’s One Small Voice is a song about peace, truth-telling, and the quiet but powerful courage that builds change. This isn’t about politics — it’s about dignity, honesty, and the moral backbone required of us as humans, caregivers, educators, parents, and community stewards.
There are songs we remember for melody… and there are songs we remember for message.
Carole King’s One Small Voice is a message as much for today as it was in the early 80’s when it was first released. I have to thank my good friend, Wendy Niskanen, who shared this song, reminding me of the power of music in times of turmoil. One Small Voice is a call to truth for today when so much in our world feels loud with confusion, division, and distraction.
One Small Voice Speaks Truth
The opening lines confront the uncomfortable: “The Emperor’s got no clothes on… one small voice speaking out in honesty.” These aren’t fluffy metaphors — they are a challenge to each of us to speak truth, even when it’s difficult, even when we feel small.
We talk a lot in school nursing about advocacy — about noticing the things others have missed, saying what needs to be said, and standing up when others are silent. Whether it’s for a child in pain, a community in crisis, or fundamental human rights, that work — that voice — feels a lot like what Carole King put into this song.
“One small voice speaking with the values we were taught as children…
Tell the truth. You can change the world.” – Carole King
That line reminds me that honesty isn’t a luxury — it’s a grounding force. It’s the compass we give children long before they learn cynicism. And when that truth is wielded with compassion, not violence or mockery, it becomes one of the most radical deeds we can commit.
Peace in a Time of Loud Voices
This song isn’t a battle cry for chaos. It’s a reminder that meaningful change rarely arrives on the shoulders of the loudest voice, but more often through the accumulation of many small voices that refuse to relinquish integrity. Carole King herself has talked about making the song available during times of widespread peaceful marches and civic engagement precisely because it might matter — a musical message of dignity, decency, and persistence.
As school nurses, we see firsthand the cost of silence — when young people feel unheard, when trauma goes unaddressed, when fears aren’t named. We also see what happens when a trusted adult speaks up: a student feels safer, a family feels supported, a community feels less alone. That’s the echo of a “small voice” — multiplied.
What This Song Means Today
In a time when headlines shout, and people shout louder over them, One Small Voice is a soft reminder that:
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Truth matters.
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Peace matters.
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Courage matters.
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Every voice — no matter how small — has value.
Maybe this is the quiet anthem we need today. Not because it solves every problem — but because it reminds each of us that our voice matters when it speaks honestly, kindly, and with purpose.
So I’ll leave you with this thought: Don’t underestimate what your one small voice can do. Speak truth where it’s needed. Lift peace where there is conflict. Hold space for compassion where there is fear.
That’s not just advocacy — that’s humanity.
ONE SMALL VOICE
Writers:
Lyrics:
The Emperor’s got no clothes on
No clothes? That can’t be; he’s the Emperor
Take that child away
Don’t let the people hear the words he has to say
One small voice
Speaking out in honesty
Silenced, but not for long
One small voice speaking with the values
we were taught as children
So you walk away and say, Isn’t he divine?
Don’t those clothes look fine on the Emperor?
And as you take your leave
You wonder why you’re feeling so ill-at-ease
Don’t you know?
Lies take your soul
You can’t hide from yourself
Lies take their toll on you
And everyone else
One small voice speaking out in honesty
Silenced, but not for long
One small voice speaking with the values
we were taught as children
Tell the truth
You can change the world
But you’d better be strong
The Emperor’s got no clothes on, no clothes
He doesn’t want to know what goes on,
though everyone knows
One small voice: The Emperor’s got no clothes on
One small voice: The Emperor’s got no clothes on
One small voice can change the world
But you’d better be strong
© 1983 Elorac Music (ASCAP)
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