I recently read a powerful piece in the Amherst Indy titled “Why is the Town of Amherst Still Called Amherst, Revisited” by John M. Gerber. It shook something loose in me.
Like many folks who’ve spent time in the Pioneer Valley, I’ve always taken the name “Amherst” for granted. It’s just where we live—home to quiet hills, big ideas, and some world-famous poetry. But the deeper I read into Gerber’s blog post and the historical documents he references—especially the disturbing correspondence of Lord Jeffery Amherst—the more I felt compelled to respond the only way I really know how: through song.
“What’s in a Name?” is a folk ballad that traces the town’s origins, from its roots as a precinct of Hadley to its naming in 1759 by Governor Thomas Pownall, who honored a British general rising to fame during the French and Indian War. But it’s not just about dates and documents—it’s about what’s left out of the town's official story. Lord Amherst, despite his military victories, was a man whose legacy is marred by his support for genocide and biological warfare against Indigenous peoples.
As I read more about the efforts by groups like the Indigenous Awareness Circle at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Amherst, I realized how many people in our community are asking the same questions I was asking: Who are we honoring with our town’s name? Whose voices are we still not hearing?
I wrote this song not to provide an answer, but to keep the conversation going.
Musically, I kept it simple—fingerpicked guitar, a natural vocal line, and a steady folk rhythm. I wanted the lyrics to be the centerpiece. Each verse is anchored in a historical moment, but the choruses ask broader, reflective questions. They’re the kind of questions that don’t go away after the song ends.
All proceeds from this track on Bandcamp are being donated to Indigenous awareness initiatives right here in the Amherst community. It felt right to give something back to the people whose stories were buried beneath the official narrative.
Thank you for listening.
🎧 Here’s the song
📝 And thank you to John M. Gerber for doing the work and sharing the history that inspired this song.
– Adam