I'm proud to say Iris DeMent emerges from the same Orange County, California, background as me (her: Buena Park/me: La Habra & Huntington Beach). This song may be folk music superficially, but lyrically it's punk as fuck. If Iris says justice sinks to the bottom of the sea, who am I to argue?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Do You Want New Wave (Or Do You Want The Truth)?
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5 comments:
I always figured she was from the Ozarks or somewhere like that...
She was born in Arkansas, but raised in OC, near Knott's Berry Farm. Go figure, right?
One of the best protest songs of the last 50 years. Right wingers hated it and tried to ban it, so it must be good!
There are only two kinds of people in the world - decent and indecent. Among the decent can be found those who happen to fight wars, earn a shitload of money, make rational and fundamentally compassionate arguments for not raising the minimum wage willy-nilly, go to church every Sunday; and yes, even wear their faith on their sleeves while trying their level best to walk the walk. Among the decent can also be found those who love and are inspired by Minutemen; who love Iris' song, and try to live by its tenets daily. But bold primary colors are what appeal more directly to the heart, and are the stock in trade of things "punk as fuck". This comment is anything but. It's out of place. It's a drag. I know it. But when the indecent give the truly decent, with whom they have only the most superficial things in common, a bad name; and more to the point, make them second guess themselves, or rob them of some of their courage, that rankles. What? "Wasteland Of The Free" is a T.S. Eliot reference? Nevermind.
Haha. Raul, you're such a nerd.
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