Monday, July 24, 2006
Lame Lefty List
Although the list of 50 "conservative" rock songs at the NRO wasn't exactly heaven, I have to say I'm very, very disappointed with this reaction list at backwards R K, whatever that is.
First, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie are not rock and rollers, I don't care who covers their song. They were certainly socialist songwriters but it's not rock and roll. If Chuck Berry sang God Bless America, it would not magically become a rock song.
Is it me or did the guy making the list seem to have runs of memory of other lefty songs by the same people? REM has spots 2-4, then there are two in a row by John Lennon and then one by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and then one by Neil Young. Maybe it's just me.
Where the guy went horribly wrong:
Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley Listen
We sick an tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin n goin to heaven in-a jesus name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you cant fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do? ),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Regarding the bold text, last time I checked, Lincoln was a Republican. The rest of the song is about Ras Tafari (Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, whom Marley worshiped as a God).
Russians by Sting Listen
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
Apolitical appeal to sanity to end the MAD policy of the Soviet Union and the United States. As I recall, President Reagan (a Republican) put the final stake in which sane Democrats had helped fashion 40 years earlier.
Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones Listen
Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I dont get some shelter
Oh yeah, Im gonna fade away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
See just above.
Piggies by the Beatles (George Harrison wrote it)
Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon.
This is political? (Think of all the White Album songs that were political--just missed!)
I have to say the Lennon's Imagine is the most liberal song since The Internationale, the words to which are below.
Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.
Refrain:
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.
No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty
And give to all a happier lot.
Each at the forge must do their duty
And we'll strike while the iron is hot.
Now that's a liberal song
First, Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie are not rock and rollers, I don't care who covers their song. They were certainly socialist songwriters but it's not rock and roll. If Chuck Berry sang God Bless America, it would not magically become a rock song.
Is it me or did the guy making the list seem to have runs of memory of other lefty songs by the same people? REM has spots 2-4, then there are two in a row by John Lennon and then one by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young and then one by Neil Young. Maybe it's just me.
Where the guy went horribly wrong:
Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley Listen
We sick an tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin n goin to heaven in-a jesus name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you cant fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do? ),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah!)
Regarding the bold text, last time I checked, Lincoln was a Republican. The rest of the song is about Ras Tafari (Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, whom Marley worshiped as a God).
Russians by Sting Listen
There is no monopoly in common sense
On either side of the political fence
We share the same biology
Regardless of ideology
Believe me when I say to you
I hope the Russians love their children too
Apolitical appeal to sanity to end the MAD policy of the Soviet Union and the United States. As I recall, President Reagan (a Republican) put the final stake in which sane Democrats had helped fashion 40 years earlier.
Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones Listen
Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I dont get some shelter
Oh yeah, Im gonna fade away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
See just above.
Piggies by the Beatles (George Harrison wrote it)
Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon.
This is political? (Think of all the White Album songs that were political--just missed!)
I have to say the Lennon's Imagine is the most liberal song since The Internationale, the words to which are below.
Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.
Refrain:
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.
No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty
And give to all a happier lot.
Each at the forge must do their duty
And we'll strike while the iron is hot.
Now that's a liberal song
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 5:40 PM 
Comments:
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Obviously the Clash flew under your radar. If so, and if you care about good music, pick up "London Calling" ("The best album of the 80's"-Rolling Stone), or , my favorite- the U S edition of "The Clash" ("This may be the greatest rock and roll album ever manufactured in the U.S."- Christnau).
10 "progressive" Clash songs just off the top of my head:
1. "Know your Rights"- "You have the right to free Speech as long as you're not Dumb enough to actually try it."
2 "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A."
"Move up Starsky
For the C.I.A.
Suck on Kojak
For the USA"
3 "White Riot"
"Black people gotta lot a problems
But they don't mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick"
4. "London's Burning "
5. "White Man In Hammersmith Palais"
"White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution"
6. "London Calling"
7. "The Guns of Brixton"
"When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun"
8. "Clampdown"
"You grow up and you calm down
You're working for the clampdown
You start wearing the blue and brown
You're working for the clampdown"
9. "Revolution Rock"
10. The entire "Sandanista" album.
10 "progressive" Clash songs just off the top of my head:
1. "Know your Rights"- "You have the right to free Speech as long as you're not Dumb enough to actually try it."
2 "I'm So Bored With the U.S.A."
"Move up Starsky
For the C.I.A.
Suck on Kojak
For the USA"
3 "White Riot"
"Black people gotta lot a problems
But they don't mind throwing a brick
White people go to school
Where they teach you how to be thick"
4. "London's Burning "
5. "White Man In Hammersmith Palais"
"White youth, black youth
Better find another solution
Why not phone up Robin Hood
And ask him for some wealth distribution"
6. "London Calling"
7. "The Guns of Brixton"
"When they kick at your front door
How you gonna come?
With your hands on your head
Or on the trigger of your gun"
8. "Clampdown"
"You grow up and you calm down
You're working for the clampdown
You start wearing the blue and brown
You're working for the clampdown"
9. "Revolution Rock"
10. The entire "Sandanista" album.
# posted by 
: 10:19 AM
: 10:19 AM
What about "The Universal Soldier" by Buffy St. Marie? Too folkie?
Sure Woody Guthrie was a lefty, but he also wrote "The Rueben James and served in teh Merchant Marine.
I review the lefty list and that guy has a short shelf when it comes to music.
Sure Woody Guthrie was a lefty, but he also wrote "The Rueben James and served in teh Merchant Marine.
I review the lefty list and that guy has a short shelf when it comes to music.
# posted by : 5:15 PM
: 5:15 PM
Since you mention Woody Guthrie, I find it interesting the difference between the left when he was writing and the left now. Particularly, I'm thinking of his odes to the hydroelectric power project (-s?) on the Columbia River ("Roll on Columbia", for instance).
Any song praising the damming of a river would be grounds for excommunication now, of course.
Not that any of his stuff was colorably rock or rock-n-roll music, of course. (And as Roger mentioned.)
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Any song praising the damming of a river would be grounds for excommunication now, of course.
Not that any of his stuff was colorably rock or rock-n-roll music, of course. (And as Roger mentioned.)
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