Previously, I have sought out a collection of musicians who exhibit a conservative world view and who fall under the broad category of rock music. It's not too easy to find them. Classic rockers Rush and Southern rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd are easy choices, as is Britpop band The Kinks. Damn Yankees frontman and NRA member Ted Nugent was invited to George W. Bush's 2001 inauguration (although it's hard to find the conservative message in a song like "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang"), and Kid Rock was invited to perform at the 2004 Republican National Convention, until the offer was revoked after someone actually listened to his music. Third Day was part of MTV's 2004 voter registration campaign with then-RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, but Christian bands tend to avoid controversial political material that could potentially damage their already limited sales. Beyond that, the list is pretty short. I mean, Ed Helms found this guy, but he's a little too obscure to make my list.
National Review put together a list of 50 conservative rock songs last summer. They worked pretty hard to get to 50. I will not work so hard, because I will only do five.
1. Rush - The Trees: Quintessential libertarian song protesting forced equality, which is even more intrusive in Rush's native Canada than in the US. Drummer/lyricist Neil Peart was heavily influenced by Ayn Rand's writings. I wish I could say I'm influenced by her, but I haven't finished Atlas Shrugged yet. I started in June.
2. Ben Folds Five - Brick: The song generally portrays a negative view of abortion, and the line, "Can't you see it's not me you're dying for" is indicative that BFF views an unborn child as a life.
3. The Rainmakers - Government Cheese: KC New Wavers rail against the welfare state.
4. The Kinks - 20th Century Man: More big government boogeymanism.
5. Blindside - Nerve: The only song that is too obscure for NRO's list, from Blindside's first full-length album. They were still full of untapped potential then, but the fact remains that being a Christian in Sweden is downright revolutionary. Hence the line, "They are liberated minds/I'm a narrow-minded fool," the typical secularist view of Christians.
So that's my list. If you have any other songs that you think deserve to be put on, please do not hesitate to leave a comment.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
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