Conservative indie pop? Liberal country western? Election season blues...

Finding New Tunes blog ^ | 8-13-08 | Jon

[lainie]

It seems to me that there’s money to be made for some young, enterprising, conservative musician. There aren’t really any conservative indie/alternative bands, but there are plenty of conservatives who like that kind of music. Can you imagine how they’d rally around a band who was outwardly conservative. And if Rush Limbaugh told his listeners about that band? They’d be millionaires overnight.

Same, though less so, for a liberal country band. By the nature of the art form, there are more liberal musicians, in general, than conservative. But country still doesn’t have too many successful liberal acts (minus the Dixie Chicks, of course). I would imagine there’s a similarly good opportunity for a good liberal country band to come out and take that genre by storm.

So? Why hasn’t anyone seized on these opportunities?

I started doing a little looking, and I came across an article by John Miller written for National Review [from 2006]. He offered up his top 50 conservative rock songs. Surprisingly, there were quite a few songs by real indie bands on the list. That doesn’t mean they were/are conservative bands. But the songs (by virtue of being libertarian, actually) are arguably conservative. Here’s his list of top 50 (there are 50 more, if you want to check those out, too).

[If you want detailed justifications for each, click through to the entire articles above...]

1. “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” by The Who.
2. “Taxman,” by The Beatles.
3. “Sympathy for the Devil,” by The Rolling Stones.
4. “Sweet Home Alabama,” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
5. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” by The Beach Boys.
6. “Gloria,” by U2.
7. “Revolution,” by The Beatles.
8. “Bodies,” by The Sex Pistols.
9. “Don’t Tread on Me,” by Metallica.
10. “20th Century Man,” by The Kinks.
11. “The Trees,” by Rush.
12. “Neighborhood Bully,” by Bob Dylan.
13. “My City Was Gone,” by The Pretenders.
14. “Right Here, Right Now,” by Jesus Jones.
15. “I Fought the Law,” by The Crickets.
16. “Get Over It,” by The Eagles.
17. “Stay Together for the Kids,” by Blink 182.
18. “Cult of Personality,” by Living Colour.
19. “Kicks,” by Paul Revere and the Raiders.
20. “Rock the Casbah,” by The Clash.
21. “Heroes,” by David Bowie.
22. “Red Barchetta,” by Rush.
23. “Brick,” by Ben Folds Five.
24. “Der Kommissar,” by After the Fire.
25. “The Battle of Evermore,” by Led Zeppelin.
26. “Capitalism,” by Oingo Boingo.
27. “Obvious Song,” by Joe Jackson.
28. “Janie’s Got a Gun,” by Aerosmith.
29. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Iron Maiden.
30. “You Can’t Be Too Strong,” by Graham Parker.
31. “Small Town,” by John Mellencamp.
32. “Keep Your Hands to Yourself,” by The Georgia Satellites.
33. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” by The Rolling Stones.
34. “Godzilla,” by Blue öyster Cult.
35. “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
36. “Government Cheese,” by The Rainmakers.
37. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” by The Band.
38. “I Can’t Drive 55,” by Sammy Hagar.
39. “Property Line,” by The Marshall Tucker Band.
40. “Wake Up Little Susie,” by The Everly Brothers.
41. “The Icicle Melts,” by The Cranberries.
42. “Everybody’s a Victim,” by The Proclaimers.
43. “Wonderful,” by Everclear.
44. “Two Sisters,” by The Kinks.
45. “Taxman, Mr. Thief,” by Cheap Trick.
46. “Wind of Change,” by The Scorpions.
47. “One,” by Creed.
48. “Why Don’t You Get a Job,” by The Offspring.
49. “Abortion,” by Kid Rock.
50. “Stand By Your Man,” by Tammy Wynette.

Eric Kirk at SoHum Parlance saw this article and decided (with some incentive from Miller) to take on the task of finding the top 50 liberal country songs. Here’s his list below (follow this link to see the justifications)…

1. Man in Black - Johnny Cash
2. The Pill - Loretta Lynn
3. 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
4. We Shall be Free - Garth Brooks
5. Harper Valley PTA - Jeannie Riley (and others)
6. Take this Job and Shove It - Johnny Paycheck
7. Devil’s Right Hand - Steve Earle
8. Sixteen Tons - Tennessee Earnest Ford
9. Rainbow Stew - Merle Haggard
10. Trouble in the Fields - Nancy Griffith
11. Abraham, Martin, and John (It’s a Hard Life) - Emmy Lou Harris
12. They Ain’t Makin Jews like Jesus Anymore - Kinky Friedman
13. San Quentin - Johnny Cash
14. America - Waylon Jennings
15. Heartland - Willie Nelson
16. Jesus, the Missing Years - John Prine
17. Okie from Muskogee - Merle Haggard
18. Conversations with the Devil - Ray Wylie Hubbard
19. Travelin’ Soldier - Dixie Chicks
20. 40 hour week - Alabama
21. My Uncle - Flying Burrito Brothers
22. Coal Miner’s Daughter - Loretta Lynn
23. Ballad for a soldier - Leon Russell, aka Hank Wilson
24. Fishing - Richard Shindell
25. I Washed my Face in the Morning Dew - Tom T. Hall
26. One Hundred Children - Tom T. Hall
27. Aragon Mill - Dry Branch Fire Squads
28. Workin Band - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
29. Right or Left at Oak Street - Roy Clark
30. Two Story House - Tammy Wynette
31. Church - Lyle Lovett
32. Devil Take the Farmer - Dry Branch Fire Squads
33. Blame it on the Stones - Kris Kristofferson
34. Skip a Rope - Henson Cargill
35. That’s the News - Merle Haggard
36. A Week in Country Jail - Tom T. Hall
37. Common Man - John Conlee
38. Kids of the Baby Boom - The Bellamy Brothers
39. Mississipi on my Mind - Jesse Winchester written, Jerry Jeff Walker performance
40. Hank Williams Said It Best - Guy Clark
41. Billy B. Damned - Billy Joe Shaver
42. Don’t you think this outlaw bit’s done got out of hand?- Waylon Jennings
43. Lights went out in Georgia - Reba McEntire
44. Peace on Earth - Willie Nelson
45. High Cotton - Alabama
46. Why can’t we all just get a long neck? - Hank Williams
47. White House Blues - Vassar Clements
48. Saginaw, Michigan - Lefty Frizzell
49. Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
50. Hobo’s Meditation - Dolly Parton

In most of the cases in the rock section, the songs are written by artists who are generally liberal, but have swerved into the conservative side of an issue. The country side largely includes artists who are generally liberal.

Thus, my curiosity still stands: Could a “good” indie/alternative band who was conservative gather a critical mass of fans? I think it goes deeper than that. I think the question really is “do people like songs because of the lyrics, melody, instrumentation, vocals, etc. (obviously, “all of the above” is an option, too)?

Can you love a song which endorses a philosophy to which you are vehemently opposed?

[lainie]

I think this is the kind of discussion a lot of people here would enjoy.

I agree with his premise that most of the conservative leaning music is more libertarian in actuality. I also agree with the commenter that said the Eagles' "Get Over It" is unmitigated crap, no matter what side of the political fence one's on. Also to be noted, "Bodies" by the Sex Pistols: Johnny Rotten has gone on record saying he's not pro-life, though he waffles on whether he's pro-choice at the same time. He revisited the theme with a 1987 song "The Body," by his then-band Public Image, Ltd.

#17 on the "liberal" country songs list is a head-scratcher. "Okie From Muskogee" certainly doesn't glorify liberal politics. It always said to me 'we're here, we're Okie, we think you're hippie crap, get used to it.' Was that not the intention? Lyle Lovett's "Church" doesn't strike me as liberal, either. And the author of the country list doesn't know that #43 was another artist's song (Vicki Lawrence, from 1972), and isn't so much pro-liberal as it was anti-south.

Anyway, discuss!

[lainie]

hi y'all, thought you might have comments.

[mylife]

Wheres the tune?

.... Red white and blue..

U.S. Blues

[Jet Jaguar]

#22 “Red Barchetta,” by Rush.

My pick as well.

[humblegunner]

And if Rush Limbaugh told his listeners about that band?

Why, then the worshippers of Limbaugh would DEMAND to hear that band.

No matter how much they sucked, or even if they were on lame-ass AM radio.

[DancingMyRainbow]

Hmm, interesting. I agree with most of the conservative rock, but I think there was a lot of stretching going on with liberal country. Conservatives work hard for a 40 hour paycheck too, and I think Eric ignored the conservative values expressed in a few of those songs in his effort to find a liberal stance.

The singer/songwriter’s intent can’t be factored in, in this case, because unless every listener has a chance to sit down and hear those views, most will get out of a song what they want. And that depends a whole lot of their own outlook on life. Which is why I love rock without getting pissed. :)

I would have included Twisted Sister’s “We’re not gonna take it”. No matter the band’s intent, which was almost certainly not mine, it fit perfectly with my mood when France was busy screwing us in the build-up to the Iraq war.

oh You’re So Condescending
your Gall Is Never Ending
we Don’t Want Nothin’, Not A Thing From You
your Life Is Trite And Jaded
boring And Confiscated
if That’s Your Best, Your Best Won’t Do

Kit

[Fiji Hill]

Here are a few suggestions for the conservative list:

1. Boslhevik--Waring's Pennsylvanians, 1926
2. WPA Blues--Bill Weldon, 1936
3. WPA--Skeets Tolbert & His Orchestra, 1940
4. Atomic Power--Fred Kirby, 1946
5. The Red We Want (is the red we've got in the old Red, White & Blue)--Hugo Winterhalter, 1950
6. The Fiery Bear--Tex Ritter, 1950
7. Advice to Joe--Roy Acuff, 1950
8. Old Soldiers Never Die--Gene Autry, 1951
9. They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain--Wesley Tuttle, 1952
10. Stalin Kicked the Bucket--Ray Anderson, 1953

[Fiji Hill]

Why isn’t “Six Days on the Road” by Dave Dudley (1963) on the conservative list? Is it too libertarian?

[Fiji Hill]

Can you love a song which endorses a philosophy to which you are vehemently opposed?

Sure. "Rise Up!" by the New Singers (1936) is a stirring Communist Party anthem, and "Plow Under" by the Almanac Singers (1941) is a catchy anti-war tune.

[MSF BU]

Seals and Crofts were devout followers of their chosen faith and insisted that they be given time after each concert to speak to interested fans about Baha'i. Dash Crofts' wife's sister wrote a poem after viewing a documentary on abortion, which Jim Seals put to music. The result was an anti-abortion song called "Unborn Child", written from the view point of the fetus. Against the advice of Warner Brothers Records, the duo used the title for their 1974 album, which rose to number 14, but the single stalled at #66. The song also brought out many pro-choice and anti-abortion demonstrations to their concerts.

...gleaned from the internet. I knew I had read about it somewhere.

[MSF BU]

...and Glen Campbell’s songs can be taken either way. Listen to Galveston or Try a Little Kindness, although Glen himself was a Reagan man, among other things.

[Cheapskate]

Evenin Everybody!,I don't know if there would be enough cash involved to make a strictly"CONSERVATIVE" band viable.

Getting airtime in the "LEGIT"radio circles would be a big pain in the butt.

[lainie]

Wish I had access to an mp3 library that has all of these songs. I must have heard Red Barchetta but I can’t think of it. Haven’t heard of U.S. Blues at all. :-)

[lainie]

I like the ideas but I guess he tried to compose a list of modern-era rock songs. The kind that most people know and have probably not thought much about, politically speaking.

[lainie]

That makes me think of Bob Marley, who is missing from the list. “Get Up, Stand Up” and “Redemption Song” are worker/oppression style tunes that speak of faith and the Almighty. Conservatives can see something in them, at least.

[lainie]

I never knew that about Seals & Crofts! Wow, that’s really interesting. Brave of them for their ERA/Roe/militant women’s lib time. (I don’t know, what is as bad in England in the 70’s?)

[lainie]

Hiya cheapie.. maybe when there’s a flaming liberal in the white house. Rock has to have something to rebel against.

[lainie]

That’s true. Galveston was a song about a man going off to (the Spanish-American) war, but ended up being copped as an anti-Vietnam anthem since it was released in the midst. Funny how there’s no mention of Uncle Ted Nugent on this list. heh

[Cheapskate]

Yeah, but my hunch is that Obama boy is gonna get beat

and It will take a little longer for McCain to light that fuse.

[Cheapskate]

Yeah, I've been playin Marley stuff for post church service tunes for several years.

I've never had any complaints either.