Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco, CA
October 8, 2006
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? FYI, the lyrics below are for this video version. The studio cut includes a verse about “high school kids running ’round in Calvin Klein and Guess,” and that’s omitted here.
Also, the camera is somewhat shaky throughout, so apologies in advance. TRIPODS, PEOPLE!!!
Iris DeMent – Wasteland Of The Free
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got preachers dealing in politics and diamond mines
And their speech is growing increasingly unkind
They say they are Christ’s disciples
But they don’t look like Jesus to me
And it feels like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got politicians running races on corporate cash
Now don’t tell me they don’t turn around and kiss those peoples’ ass
You may call me old-fashioned
But that don’t fit my picture of a true democracy
And I feel like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We got CEOs making 200 times the workers’ pay
They fight like hell against raising the minimum wage
If you don’t like it mister
They’ll ship your job across the sea
And I feel like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where poor people are treated like the enemy
Let’s blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
We got little kids with guns fighting inner city wars
So what do we do we put our kids behind prison doors
And we call ourselves an advanced civilization
That sounds like crap to me
I feel like I am living in the wasteland of the free
We’re killing for oil and then we’ll throw a party IF we win
Somebody refuses to fight, well they get called a sin
We’re standing up for what we believe in
That seems pretty damned American to me
And I feel like I am living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Where poor working people get treated like the enemy
Let’s blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we sit gloating in our greatness
Justice sinks to the bottom of the sea
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
Living in the wasteland of the free
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.