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.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

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

I've never heard this before and question it's validity. Regardless, "Heroes" is a great song and a great album regardless of political affiliation, along with Bowie's other Berlin albums, "Low" and "Lodger".

[AnotherUnixGeek]

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

I'm not surprised - the Rolling Stones contingent is mostly in it's 50s and 60s, and the Springsteen audience in it's 40s and 50s. And how many young people listen to country music?

[68skylark]

Evanesence lyrics show a strong Christian influence.

Oh my goodness -- you read the lyrics a lot differently than I did.

[68skylark]

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

I agree.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

Oingo Boing had a bunch of great libertarian songs like:

Only a Lad

Perfect System

Grey Matter

etc.

[Solamente]

I could try to convince you that it was indeed the case, and when the song came out I got wind of it's true meaning(to my chagrin, because it was really the only Bowie song I liked,) due to people I knew really close to the situation. So, forget I said anything.

Even though I was told in a matter-of-fact fashion.

[MilesVeritatis]

Whoops! That's "hand," not "head."

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

The interesting thing about the song is that its message is to all outsiders (non-Americans). While we may disagree, debate, and even fight amongst ourselves, you better not mess with us because we will be unified in a mighty kicking of your arse. Too bad there are some Americans who are too stupid and selfish to keep this principle.

[Johnny Crab]

Rush: Red Barchetta :-)

Or YYZ !!

[Ramius]

Rush has several songs with this philosophy.

yep. They've always had a more libertarian sort of philosophy. Neil Peart, especially IIRC. "The Trees" is magnificent in that regard. No liberalism there.

[PzLdr]

If you listen closely to ther lyrics of "Born in the U.S.A", you might notice it's an anti- military, anti -Viet Nam song.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I could try to convince you that it was indeed the case, and when the song came out I got wind of it's true meaning(to my chagrin, because it was really the only Bowie song I liked,) due to people I knew really close to the situation. So, forget I said anything.

Even though I was told in a matter-of-fact fashion.

Bowie's bisexuality has never been much of a secret, so I certainly wouldn't be surprised by hearing that he'd slept with a guy, but Eno? Never heard of this, and it's hard to believe it could have been kept quiet for so long.

[Ramius]

LOL... I must've missed the political angle to YYZ. Being an instrumental and all...

[for those not Rush fans, the base line is morse code for the letters YYZ]

[PzLdr]

"Brooks and Dunn's "Only in America", Darryl Worley's"Do You Remember", Aaron Tippett's "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly", anything by Toby Keith.

[68skylark]

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

It's a lot of fun to look over that list. Here's on I had forgotten about:

"48. 'Why Don’t You Get a Job,' by The Offspring.
The lyrics aren’t exactly Shakespearean, but they’re refreshingly blunt and they capture a motive force behind welfare reform."

[bad company]

http://www.atomfilms.com/sw/content/right_brothers_bush

My personal favorite is "bush was right" By the right brothers.

[filepile]

The cool intro in YYZ is morse code for...wait for it...YYZ.

[chae]

Go back and read the lyrics to the song "Tourniquet".

Tourniquet by Evanescence
I tried to kill the pain
But only brought more
I lay dying
And I'm pouring crimson regret and betrayal
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved
Am I too lost

My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation

Do you remember me
Lost for so long
Will you be on the other side
Or will you forget me
I'm dying praying bleeding and screaming
Am I too lost to be saved
am I too lost

My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation

(Return to me salvation)
(I want to die)

My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation
My God my tourniquet
Return to me salvation

My wounds cry for the grave
My soul cries for deliverance
Will I be denied Christ
Tourniquet

[Solamente]

I dunno. I got this via a girl who used to tie up Eno, and beat him. Apparently he was obsessed, though I myself failed to see the attraction. Ironically, I met Eno while working temporarilly at an audio store in midtown Manhattan. This was even before "Heroes" came out. He bought some high-end rack mount stuff, and I looked him in the eye and inquired "Would you like them BOUND?"

Given it's true about Eno and Bowie, as I was led to believe at the time, the lyrics then became all the more creepier:

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing will
Drive them away
We can beat them
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
Just for one day

And you
You can be mean
And I
I'll drink all the time
'Cause we're lovers
And that is a fact
Yes we're lovers
And that is that

Though nothing
Will keep us together
We could steal time
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
For ever and ever
What d'you say

I
I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Will keep us together
We can beat them
For ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes
Just for one day

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive them away
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be us
Just for one day

I
I can remember
Standing
By the wall
And the guns
Shot above our heads
And we kissed
As though nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
For ever and ever
Then we can be Heroes
Just for one day

We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We're nothing
And nothing will help us
Maybe we're lying
Then you better not stay
But we could be safer
Just for one day

(My source provided us with a German language ep well in advance.)

[68skylark]

Yeah, correct me if I'm wrong -- that's a song about a girl who starts to worry about religion after she's slit her wrists and is watching the blood drain out of her body. It's the one song on the album which may have a religious overtone.

But soon after that one is a companion song about the happy side of suicide -- about a girl who has talked her lover into strangling her to death, and who is thrilled with the result ("My Last Breath").

I like the album. But the lyrics, on balance, are in no way Christian or wholesome in my opinion.

[68skylark]

Thanks a lot, pal -- that's a great song and you're starting to ruin it for me! LOL.