Politicians And Lawyers Like Lists- Musicians Don't
This list by John J. Miller of the top 50 conservative rock songs was in the news before the lonely libertarian's hiatus, but I figured I'd finish what I started commenting on and give my two cents.
My first thought after reading the list was not to criticize, but to wonder what the list of the top 50 liberal rock songs would look like. How many similar artists, and in fact similar themes would there be? According to Miller, "skepticism of government" is a conservative value, but I'm not sure if I'd want to lump virtually every single Rage Against the Machine song into the category of conservative.
The fact of the matter is, individualist themes are part of what rock music is all about, and individualism in its many forms may be reflected in various conservative and liberal positions, but individualism itself is not necessarily a political value.
Take away the songs on the list with strong individualist or anti-authoritarian themes, and you're basically left with a couple of songs against taxes and abortion. And I guess that's my problem with the list. It's just plain stupid. Musicians don't write songs to support a political agenda, they write songs about topics they feel strongly about.
If there's some issue, or some ideal you're passionate about, the political label other people put upon it doesn't really matter. That's what’s so beautiful, so pure about music (even commercial rock and roll). Just look at some of the songs included from my own generation, Ben Folds Five "Brick" and Blink 182's "Stay Together For The Kids" .... There’s nothing remotely political about either of these songs. They're painful recollections relating to personal experiences.
And that's really the point of music; it's personal, not political. There was the time, only several weeks after the start of the Iraq war when I was at a Papa Roach concert. Lead singer Jacoby Shaddix gave a heart-felt statement protesting the war, based on his experiences after his father came back from Vietnam. Even if one were to consider anti-war feelings to be liberal sentiments, it seems odd to classify such an obviously personal statement as political.
Not that there aren't any overtly political songs. The thing is, most of them suck.
Take for instance, the recent song by punk grey beards NOFX, "You're Wrong." Why does it suck? Because it's not passionate and it doesn't really say anything, other than that conservatives are wrong:
You're wrong about virtues of Christianity
And you're wrong if you agree with Sean Hannity
If you think that pride is about nationality, you're wrong
You're wrong when you imprison people turning tricks
And you're wrong about trickle down economics
If you think that punk rock doesn't mix with politics, you're wrong
You're wrong for hating queers and eating steers
If you kill for the thrill of the hunt
You're wrong 'bout wearing fur and not hating Ann Coulter
Cause she's a cunted cunt
You're wrong if you celebrate Columbus Day
And You're wrong if you think there will be a Judgment Day
If you're a charter member of the NRA, you're wrong
You're wrong if you support capital punishment
And you're wrong if you don't question your government
If you think her reproductive rights are inconsequent, you're wrong
You're wrong fighting Jihad, your blind faith in God
Your religions are all flawed,
You're wrong about drug use, when its not abuse
I hope you never reproduce
You're getting high on the downlow
A victim of Cointelpro
You're wrong and will probably never know
The lonely libertarian's vote for the greatest political song ever? System of a Down's Prison Song,a scathing critique of the war on drugs. Is this a conservative, liberal, or libertarian song? I couldn't tell you. And that's just what makes a good political song. Good political songs don't want to fit on to anyone's political lists.
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
(nearly 2 million Americans are
Incarcerated in the prison system
Prison system of the us)
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
(for you and me to live in)
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
The percentage of Americans in the prison system
Prison system, has doubled since 1985
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
For you and i, for you and i, for you and i.
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
For you and me
Oh baby, you and me.
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences
Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world
Drugs are now your global policy now you police the globe
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
Drug money is used to rig elections
And train brutal corporate sponsored dictators
Around the world
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
(for you and me to live in)
For you and i, for you and i, for you and i
For you and i
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
For you and me
Oh baby, you and me
My first thought after reading the list was not to criticize, but to wonder what the list of the top 50 liberal rock songs would look like. How many similar artists, and in fact similar themes would there be? According to Miller, "skepticism of government" is a conservative value, but I'm not sure if I'd want to lump virtually every single Rage Against the Machine song into the category of conservative.
The fact of the matter is, individualist themes are part of what rock music is all about, and individualism in its many forms may be reflected in various conservative and liberal positions, but individualism itself is not necessarily a political value.
Take away the songs on the list with strong individualist or anti-authoritarian themes, and you're basically left with a couple of songs against taxes and abortion. And I guess that's my problem with the list. It's just plain stupid. Musicians don't write songs to support a political agenda, they write songs about topics they feel strongly about.
If there's some issue, or some ideal you're passionate about, the political label other people put upon it doesn't really matter. That's what’s so beautiful, so pure about music (even commercial rock and roll). Just look at some of the songs included from my own generation, Ben Folds Five "Brick" and Blink 182's "Stay Together For The Kids" .... There’s nothing remotely political about either of these songs. They're painful recollections relating to personal experiences.
And that's really the point of music; it's personal, not political. There was the time, only several weeks after the start of the Iraq war when I was at a Papa Roach concert. Lead singer Jacoby Shaddix gave a heart-felt statement protesting the war, based on his experiences after his father came back from Vietnam. Even if one were to consider anti-war feelings to be liberal sentiments, it seems odd to classify such an obviously personal statement as political.
Not that there aren't any overtly political songs. The thing is, most of them suck.
Take for instance, the recent song by punk grey beards NOFX, "You're Wrong." Why does it suck? Because it's not passionate and it doesn't really say anything, other than that conservatives are wrong:
You're wrong about virtues of Christianity
And you're wrong if you agree with Sean Hannity
If you think that pride is about nationality, you're wrong
You're wrong when you imprison people turning tricks
And you're wrong about trickle down economics
If you think that punk rock doesn't mix with politics, you're wrong
You're wrong for hating queers and eating steers
If you kill for the thrill of the hunt
You're wrong 'bout wearing fur and not hating Ann Coulter
Cause she's a cunted cunt
You're wrong if you celebrate Columbus Day
And You're wrong if you think there will be a Judgment Day
If you're a charter member of the NRA, you're wrong
You're wrong if you support capital punishment
And you're wrong if you don't question your government
If you think her reproductive rights are inconsequent, you're wrong
You're wrong fighting Jihad, your blind faith in God
Your religions are all flawed,
You're wrong about drug use, when its not abuse
I hope you never reproduce
You're getting high on the downlow
A victim of Cointelpro
You're wrong and will probably never know
The lonely libertarian's vote for the greatest political song ever? System of a Down's Prison Song,a scathing critique of the war on drugs. Is this a conservative, liberal, or libertarian song? I couldn't tell you. And that's just what makes a good political song. Good political songs don't want to fit on to anyone's political lists.
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
(nearly 2 million Americans are
Incarcerated in the prison system
Prison system of the us)
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
(for you and me to live in)
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
You don’t even flinch
All our taxes paying for your wars
Against the new non-rich
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
The percentage of Americans in the prison system
Prison system, has doubled since 1985
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
For you and i, for you and i, for you and i.
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
For you and me
Oh baby, you and me.
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences
All research and successful drug policy show
That treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimum sentences
Utilizing drugs to pay for secret wars around the world
Drugs are now your global policy now you police the globe
I buy my crack, I smack my bitch
Right here in Hollywood
Drug money is used to rig elections
And train brutal corporate sponsored dictators
Around the world
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
(for you and me to live in)
Another prison system
Another prison system
Another prison system
(for you and me to live in)
For you and i, for you and i, for you and i
For you and i
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
They’re trying to build a prison
For you and me
Oh baby, you and me
posted by lonely libertarian at 1:41 PM
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