|
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Live free or die!
----
|
April 02, 2003
Mellencamp's anti-Bush song
John Mellencamp has a new protest song available for FREE DOWNLOAD on his website. It's not so much an anti-war song as an anti-Bush diatribe.
If you're any kind of Mellencamp fan, it's definitely worth a listen. It's not the very most exciting song he's ever done, but it actually is pretty listenable. It has a good tune, and a nicely developed arrangement. I'd say that overall it is the best song I've heard from him in most of a decade.
Stylistically, it's in his Woody Guthrie mode. He has an approach that sounds like humble farmer with hat in hand. Which isn't to say that he's not scathing, but not at all haughty or self-congratulatory. I mean this not only in terms of the lyrics, but the whole understated nature of the composition.
It reminds me of his anti-Reagan song "Country Gentleman." The general musical approach is similar, as is the lyrical approach. Both songs are quietly and humbly delivered bitter denunciations of the president. One example of the perhaps slightly affected humility is that he doesn't actually use the name of either president, though there's no possible doubt who he means. The approach is similar, but I'd say "To Washington" rates higher. I'm not necessarily overly impressed with the political insights, but it is well written, and has some personality about it. It reflects some distinctive personal style; he's not simply re-gurgitating boilerplate lyrical cliches like the Lenny Kravitz record.
This is definitely pretty good, but it's not Mellencamp's very best protest material. In the range of social protest, one old song of Mellencamp's didn't get the attention that it should. If you don't have it, hunt down a copy of "Love and Happiness." It absolutely breathes fire. "To Washington" won't make me forget "Rain on the Scarecrow" or "The Authority Song" or "Pink Houses," but then what would?
TO WASHINGTON
Eight years of peace and prosperity
Scandal in the White House
An election is what we need
From coast-to-coast to Washington
So America voted on a president
No one kept count
On how the election went
From Florida to Washington
Goddamn, said one side
And the other said the same
Both looked pretty guilty
But no one took the blame
From coast-to-coast to Washington
So a new man in the White House
With a familiar name
Said he had some fresh ideas
But it's worse now since he came
From Texas to Washington
And he wants to fight with many
And he says it's not for oil
He sent out the National Guard
To police the world
From Baghdad to Washington
What is the thought process
To take a humans life
What would be the reason
To think that this is right
From heaven to Washington
From Jesus Christ to Washington
posted by Al at 4/02/2003 04:49:00 PM
Link Soup
morethings master
photo gallery index
MP3
new album
releases
lyrics
sammy davis
little richard photos
buddy holly pictures
fats domino images
chuck berry pictures 01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
01/02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12
01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/01/
02/
03/
04/
05/
06/
07/
08/
09/
10/
11/
12/08/
09/
10/
11/
12/
la
24
lucille ball images james
blunt photos
clint eastwood pictures lena
horne images team
america pictures
robert mitchum photos
bruce springsteen pictures
mariah carey pictures
ann coulter photos
george clooney images
loretta lynn pictures
beatles pictures
white stripes pictures
andy griffith pictures
kill bill pictures
beverly hillbillies pictures
robin williams
frank zappa pictures
jerry lee lewis pictures
richard pryor photos
june carter johnny cash pictures
vic mackey shield pictures u2 photos
four seasons images
james cagney images
elvis presley pictures
country music
blog
dolly parton pictures
olsen twins photos
tom petty photos
tori amos pictures
joaquin phoenix images David
Bowie photos
Quills movie images
reese witherspoon pictures rolling
stones photos
fiona apple images kim
novak images ray charles photos marx
brothers pictures
prince rogers nelson pictures blazing
saddles images
sinead o'connor images
eddie murphy photos aretha
franklin photos
south park pictures homer
simpson images
bob dylan pictures elizabeth
taylor photos madonna
images
saturday night live pictures willie
nelson images hee
haw pictures james
brown images pete
townshend photos
tina turner pictures
dixie chicks photos
margaret thatcher photos
guns
n roses pictures
paula abdul pictures
jodie foster photos
amy winehouse
eminem
frank sinatra photos
van
halen images
satan
blondie photos
joni
mitchell pictures
merle haggard
images
rocky horror pictures
monty
python
|
|
