not all country is rightist
Interesting post at Rage Against the Right here about hyper-patriot country music, including some embarrassingly bad lyrics from Charlie Daniels and Toby Keith. (Daniels' far-right uber-patriotism is quite a contrast to his "Long-Hair Country Boy" days, thirty-something years ago.)
Rage Against the Right is correct, there is a lot of that kind of hyper-patriotic crap around, for sure. But there is alt-country Steve Earle as a welcome counterpoint. His two most recent albums, "Jerusalem" and "The Revolution Starts Now" are full of anti-Bush, anti-religious right, and anti-war lyrics that will warm the heart of liberal music fans. Not all the songs are political, but they're all good. ("Transcendental Blues" is also a great album.)
"Meanwhile, back at the hospital, we got accountants
playin' God and countin' out the pills.
Yeah, I know that sucks -- that you're HMO ain't
doin' what you thought it would do.
But everybody's gotta die some time and we can't save
everybody, that's the best we can do.
Compassionate conservative,
Is that the best we can do?"
(from Amerika v6.0, "Jerusalem")
"I used to listen to the radio
And I don’t guess they’re listenin’ to me no more
They talk too much but that’s okay
I don’t understand a single word they say
Piss and moan about the immigrants
But don’t say nothin’ about the president
A democracy don’t work that way
I can say anything I wanna say
So fuck the FCC
Fuck the FBI
Fuck the CIA
Livin’ in the motherfuckin’ USA"
(from F the CC, "The Revolution Starts Now")
"Ali was the second son of a second son
Grew up in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks when the tanks would come
Ain’t nothin’ else to do around here just a game children play
Somethin’ ‘bout livin’ in fear all your life makes you hard that way
He answered when he got the call
Wrapped himself in death and praised Allah
A fat man in a new Mercedes drove him to the door
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man’s war."
(from Rich Man's War, "The Revolution Starts Now")
Rage Against the Right is correct, there is a lot of that kind of hyper-patriotic crap around, for sure. But there is alt-country Steve Earle as a welcome counterpoint. His two most recent albums, "Jerusalem" and "The Revolution Starts Now" are full of anti-Bush, anti-religious right, and anti-war lyrics that will warm the heart of liberal music fans. Not all the songs are political, but they're all good. ("Transcendental Blues" is also a great album.)
"Meanwhile, back at the hospital, we got accountants
playin' God and countin' out the pills.
Yeah, I know that sucks -- that you're HMO ain't
doin' what you thought it would do.
But everybody's gotta die some time and we can't save
everybody, that's the best we can do.
Compassionate conservative,
Is that the best we can do?"
(from Amerika v6.0, "Jerusalem")
"I used to listen to the radio
And I don’t guess they’re listenin’ to me no more
They talk too much but that’s okay
I don’t understand a single word they say
Piss and moan about the immigrants
But don’t say nothin’ about the president
A democracy don’t work that way
I can say anything I wanna say
So fuck the FCC
Fuck the FBI
Fuck the CIA
Livin’ in the motherfuckin’ USA"
(from F the CC, "The Revolution Starts Now")
"Ali was the second son of a second son
Grew up in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks when the tanks would come
Ain’t nothin’ else to do around here just a game children play
Somethin’ ‘bout livin’ in fear all your life makes you hard that way
He answered when he got the call
Wrapped himself in death and praised Allah
A fat man in a new Mercedes drove him to the door
Just another poor boy off to fight a rich man’s war."
(from Rich Man's War, "The Revolution Starts Now")
posted by Don Q Blogger at 8:07 AM
1 Comments:
I just got around to reading this now...
I hear a lot from Steve Earl on Air America, whether they're playing his stuff or letting him co-host a show.
I have also discovered Green Day (I've always been very familiar with their stuff, I just thought it all sucked until recently). Have you read the lyrics to their latest album? If not, check it.
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