They do not actually listen. They hear a word or two, but miss the message. Correct me if wrong; but I seem to remember DJT's campaign getting a Cease and Desist from Neil Young for playing Rockin in the Free World.
This is not about them woefully misunderstanding the text of the song. It's a completely different view of art itself: that rock songs (and all art) are only for entertainment and commerce. Divesting it of social value and criticism is the point.
60s (Jefferson Airplane): "Up against the wall motherfuckers"
70s (The Clash): "You'll have to answer to the guns of Brixton"
80s (The Pogues): "May the whores of the empire lie awake in their beds"
90s (Midnight Oil): "I see the Union Jack in flames"
Conservatives have this knack for thinking progressive lyrics are actually anti-progressive and the trick just seems to be they don't really listen to any of them they just make up what they think the song is about based on a few loud words they can easily make out
I’m not convinced they misheard that though, it’s just a simple declaration of reality to them; “Born down in a dead man’s town? Yeah, that sounds like the American experience alright.”
A former acquaintance of mine brought his roommate to the NIN show that we were attending for my birthday. Said roommate happened to be a top lackey for Corey Lewandowski, and apparently also a fervent NIN fan.
Let’s talk about “ONE NATION CONTROLLED BY THE MEDIA” and how you can’t really disagree with “conservative” views. You’re just a sheep who believes what the media tells you to believe and you really need to start watching OANN.
I remember years ago a list of “conservative anthems” and most were saying the opposite of what those idiots thought. Same guy was saying the Beatles were conservative because they sang “taxman.”
I think believing "Born in the USA" expresses nativist, anti-immigrant politics and a dogma of American exceptionalism is probably the canonical example of this.
See also Leonard Cohen's "Democracy", though I would honestly be impressed by a reactionary tin-eared enough to miss the point of this one. But IMO, even Cohen's producers weren't doing him any favors in the '80s.
Yes I remember very well back in the early aughts when conservatives welcomed anti-war anthems with open arms and definitely never ever got mad about them
Changing "I'm not a part of a redneck agenda" to "I'm not a part of a MAGA agenda" is such a small thing, basically nothing changed, it still conveys the same meaning. And these people whining Green Day went from "music both liberals and conservatives could enjoy" to a SJW.
I remember pre-Nirvana when living in a small city and liking music that sounded like Nirvana that Nirvana liked and looking like someone who liked it was a great way to get bottles and bricks thrown at you.
He's so titanically not funny. It's the kind of not funny I don't think I could imitate even as a joke. He really does just think he can say any combination of words and if he means for it to be funny then people will laugh.
He reminds me of an old man who says things he thinks are funny while he's around the rest of the family while the rest of the family just looks on at him as if they're just completely bewildered at what made him think saying such a thing was funny.
I was at a Crosby, Stills & Nash show in like 2014. Stills said he thought Hillary Clinton would be a good president and the boomers got really riled up and screamed at them to stop being political. Can't believe CSN suddenly got into politics out of nowhere.
I'm crying laughing at the thought of conservatives only just realizing, 20 years later, that the song American Idiot was making fun of them the whole time
Reminds me when they were all losing their shit over Billie Joe Armstrong supporting LGBT stuff like they hadn't listened to uh...any music Green Day has done ever.
I went to a Billy Bragg gig recently & there were people in the audience complaining about the politics. He does no other kind of music, no other kind of performance.
Right? The lack of understanding about the music Green Day grew out of is astounding. From kicking the shit out of Nazi that show up to a concert to hurting their wittle fee fees in 2023, punk has never put up with their shit.
oh for the days when I could go to the movies with my conservative friend and watch how uncomfortable he was about the anti-colonial/anti-industrial themes in Avatar (2009)
I think today's conservatives just forget that "rock music" was cool because it was anti-establishment, and era conservatives were listening to classical music or other non-rock stuff.
Most art, including music, is political; they just failed to grasp that the message is often anti-conservative.
I remember back in the day when the “conservative” skinheads tried to take over the punk scene and got the shit knocked out of them. So much for the tolerant left!
People no longer realize that "Stand Down Margaret" was a plea to Margaret Atwood that she no longer accept literary awards, allowing the next generation to share in the glory.
This reminds me of the bad place on the 50th anniversary of the Kent State massacre, where someone posted a video of Neil Young singing Ohio, and got an onslaught of imbeciles lamenting Neil Young’s sudden shocking turn toward activism.
Comments
All truth is found right in the middle
Horseshoe theory is my favorite dogma
Both sides are equally crazy
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear the drummin'
Four dead in Ohio"
60s (Jefferson Airplane): "Up against the wall motherfuckers"
70s (The Clash): "You'll have to answer to the guns of Brixton"
80s (The Pogues): "May the whores of the empire lie awake in their beds"
90s (Midnight Oil): "I see the Union Jack in flames"
In fairness, I only recently really listened to the lyrics of Sugar Dumpling, a song I’ve hundreds of times, and it is largely nonsense.
Unfun as fuck.
(1992 is still functionally 80s)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU-RuR-qO4Y
https://youtu.be/m2zKdIcOV5s?si=X5KzeFcurnOBw34t
https://youtu.be/XfSk901F_XY
Others just never figure it out. They're dial tones that respond to comforting tropes.
Most art, including music, is political; they just failed to grasp that the message is often anti-conservative.
After that: Nazi punks fuck off.
What color were your laces?
Rage against: FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!
That song came out after 4 years of Junior, when only the “redneck agenda” was going to vote Republican a third time.