Rock for all the Young Republican Dudes

Los Angeles Times (originally Baltimore Sun) ^ | June 15, 2006 | Stephen Kiehl

[KingofZion]

PITY the conservative rock fan. So many musicians are ganging up on the president. Bruce Springsteen is on tour playing protest songs. The Dixie Chicks just put out an album with a song that finds them standing firm against President Bush. And the Rolling Stones last year released a song calling the president a hypocrite.

But to prove there is still some music for conservative rockers, National Review has published a list of the 50 greatest conservative rock songs. John J. Miller, who compiled the list, explains the criteria: "The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. And, to be sure, it must be a great rock song."

At the top of the list is the Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again," which Miller calls a theme song for "disillusioned revolutionaries" who've forsaken their naive idealism. Also in the top 10 are "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys (for its pro-abstinence and -marriage message), "Gloria" by U2 and "Revolution" by the Beatles. Other selections include songs by Bob Dylan ("Neighborhood Bully"), David Bowie ("Heroes") and John Mellencamp ("Small Town"). ***

Even the liberal bloggers admit that some of the songs do seem to have a conservative bent. Take, for instance, the Ben Folds Five song "Brick," which tells of a young man's regret and heartbreak over taking his girlfriend to get an abortion.

[KingofZion]

My personal favorite is TaxMan by the Beatles, though Born in the USA is a gem, too.

[Solamente]

WHAT??? David Bowie ("Heroes") is about his homo affair with Brian Eno!

[pissant]

Mexican Blackbird - ZZ top

[Ramius]

Rush: Red Barchetta :-)

[Our man in washington]

I'm surprised he omitted "Sunshine" by Jonathan Edwards, unless he felt that was more of a folk song. That song has a set of lyrics that apply to Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and nearly every other leftist politician:

"He can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine!"

[chae]

Evanesence lyrics show a strong Christian influence.

[Yorlik803]

VOA by Sammy Hagar,,,,,,,,,

[peggybac]

I don't know any young people, republican or democrat, who listen to Springsteen, the Chicklets or the Rolling Stones.

[Talking_Mouse]

Born in the USA is not pro-America:

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up

[chorus:]
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

[MilesVeritatis]

Don't know it these made the list:
Don Henley's "Get Over It" and "Dirty Laundry"

[Question_Assumptions]

The Verve Pipe's song "The Freshman" has a fairly cryptic line that's about abortion killing a baby and stopping a wedding:

"Stopped a baby's breath, and a shoe full of rice."

It's fairly conservative with respect to responsibility and. youthful stupidity overall, too.

[tfecw]

"I don't know any young people, republican or democrat, who listen to Springsteen, the Chicklets or the Rolling Stones."

NJ still plays Springsteen constantly, can't argue with the logic on the other 2

[spinestein]

Rush has several songs with this philosophy.

"Red Barchetta" is set in the near future when it's illegal to drive cars for pleasure. The hero of the song digs a ride in a secretly owned Barchetta and they have to flee from Big Brother when they get caught driving through the country.

"The Trees" is a satire about maple trees being "oppressed" by oak trees because the oaks are so tall that they hog all the light. The maples form a union and make all trees equal by "hatchet, ax and saw".

"2112" is a 20 minute medley of songs set in the future when the government runs all aspects of daily life and keeps everybody content with shallow, state sponsored entertainment and prohibits self-expression. The album is dedicated to Ayn Rand.

"Free Will" is an excellent description of the personal responsibility of choice that free will really means. It includes the line: "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice".

[MilesVeritatis]

Here's the NRO list, if interested: Rockin' the Right

[misterrob]

Born in the USA????

By Mr. Liberal Himself?

[InsensitiveConservative]

High Crimes And Misdemeanors (hip Hop-cracy) by Styx

[Vision]

Brooks and Dunn's "That's what it's all about" was cool at the '04 convention. "We won't get fooled again" in '00 was great too.

[AzaleaCity5691]

I doubted it was left off for that, seeing as they included a Tammy Wynette song on here, a song which, while nice, is a straight country song, there is no rock influence.

Of course, they left off the C.D.B's song "In America" which was actually a rock song and a pretty popular one at that during that whole messy period in 1980.

[MilesVeritatis]

I was thinking the same thing about CDB (Rock/Country/Crossover). "In America" is awesome. Being a proud American and a Steeler fan, it doesn't get much better:

"You just go and lay your head on a Pittsburgh Steeler fan and I think you're gonna finally understand."

[68skylark]

"He can't even run his own life
I'll be damned if he'll run mine!"

I think "Sunshine" is an anti-draft song. But I totally agree with the comment you made about these lines -- I often look at left-wing politicians and think the same thing.

What's the name of the song -- I think it's by Bob Marley -- that begins with a voice calling out, "Don't be afraid of your freedom"? I often think of that lyric when the public won't rally behind some proposal to cut government.