“…cuz the South’s gonna to do it again.”
But man, that song rocks, especially the end. In a, you know, country way.
Since you chose CDB, here is an interesting bit of trivia about that song in particular:
The song uses a clever play on words to promote Southern rock music. … The “it” that the South is going to do again, it is implied, is to produce additional popular rock groups.
Daniels factually bristled at more nefarious interpretations of what the “it” was. … Daniels told Billboard, “I’m damn proud of the South, but I sure as hell am not proud of the Ku Klux Klan. I wrote the song about the land I love and my brothers. It was not written to promote hate groups.”
Maybe use the songs as an opportunity for discussion … or save it for your kid-free time.
I was always surprised that all the biggest Skynyrd fans I knew seemed to know none of the lyrics, because thwy all lived the opposite of them.
RACISM IS WRONG- The Ballad of Curtis Lowe
DRUGS AND ALCOHOL ARE BAD- Needle And The Spoon, That Smell
CAPITALISM SUCKS- Working For MCA
GUNS ARE BAD - Saturday Night Special
FIGHTING IS A BAD IDEA- Gimme Three Steps
Thats all I can remember at the moment, but I should add that Alabama fucking sucks and always has. I know. Trust me.
CCR - Fortunate son - The poor pay the cost of war and the rich benefit.
Blah blah blah I like the helicopter song
Saturday night special is my favorite one to bring up to the “fans”. Like I can see how you don’t necessarily get the others, but how anybody can hear “a handgun is made for killing, ain’t no good for nothing else, so why don’t we take our handguns and throw them to the bottom of the sea” and think that this guy is just another good ol boy is beyond me.
I feel the same way about a lot of modern hip-hop and pop music. I really enjoy the music but I just can’t relate in any way to the bragging lyrics about having loads of money.
Feel like I’ve heard the Lamborghini Urus casually mentioned in about a dozen UK hip-hop tracks over the past 6 months…
They’re just not timeless. If you were to go back in time to sell your ancestors on a song from the future, a lyric like “me wearing my Oaklies and taking a Polaroid selfie in Times Square” is probably not gonna translate so well. Therefore the song’s message is probably superficial.
Not all hip-hop obviously, Pharcyde are pretty solid lyrically.
I actually have a sub dedicated to calculating how timeless a song is:
For fans of Pharcyde, check out Del The Funky Homosapian, aka Deltron 3030 for some albums, and a prominent member of the Heiroglyphics crew (who are also similarly lyrically inclined.) Idk how it’ll rank on your timeless-o-meter but he’s the only dude I’ve ever heard say “lurid” in a song.
Edit: OH and fans of Gorillaz will recognize his voice, he rapped on some of their biggest tracks.
Thanks for the recommendations!
Cool sub! I only know Outkast’s Hey Ya out of the songs you’ve analyzed but I thought the analysis was really interesting.
Thanks! Feel free to add your own songs too
Excellent point!
Check out the band Larkin Poe. Great southern sound without any of the “rise again” BS. In fact, a lot of their stuff is counter to that culture.
On it
Lemme know what you think. They’re pretty unknown and I’d love to know I helped another person become a fan of them.
Removed by mod
Check out Drive By Truckers
Will do
You sing them lullabies where babies fall out of trees.
They’ll be fine
Never too soon to learn that life is fragile and we all careen inevitably towards death!
Idk how old your kids are, but if/when they’re old enough to have a conversation with nuance, just talk with them about the myth of the Lost Cause. Maybe watch some Checkmate Lincolnites videos on YouTube to help. This applies to all sorts of topics of discussion, by the way. Have a fact-based conversation once they are ready, and land on your opinions and show that you arrived there based on the facts as you understand them, encouraging them to take the same sort of approach to any nuanced conflict. In this way, you can still enjoy the music you like without necessarily condoning the message. But keep in mind that unless you’re pirating that music, you’re still financially supporting the artist, so do with that information what you will.
If they aren’t ready for such a complex discussion, you can still make it clear that you like the guitars, drums, etc but not the lyrics, and you can say that the song is about people being mean to people who don’t deserve it and tease that you can talk about it more when they get a little older.
Idk if it’s relevant to you at all, but I rediscovered the Southerner album by Trent Dabbs recently and it’s pretty solid if you want something a little country-ish without being so problematic. Paper Trail in particular is a fucking vibe.
I will check the recommendation out. Thanks for all the good advice.
Headphones?
So the question is: “what if that thing I said?”
Just listen to it when you’re alone. That’s what I do. Good point not to play some things to your (young) kids. But I sometimes like to listen to music which lyrics I don’t necessarily agree with. Or from artists that haven’t been exemplary humans. If I like the song and it touches me emotionally and I’m able to differentiate between that and real life, I don’t think it’s bad (for me).
Edit: I’m not sure how ‘controversial’ the song you mentioned is. It celebrates southern music. And country, bluegrass, rock etc had a good amount of impact on the world. Same with the bands they sing about who have influenced music as we know it today. I don’t see an issue with this song.
And if you ask me, let your kids be rebels against injustice and outdated and narrow perspectives on the world.
Slightly relevant Key and Peele video lol https://youtu.be/TLnUJzueBOQ
Now that there’s funny I don’t care who you are…
You can enjoy music without having to agree with 100% of the song/band.
As they grow explain your concerns and give history lessons on the matter, if you think it is required.
I sing R-kelly, MJ, and Garry Glitter songs all the time. I don’t support them financially though, since I’m a kid of the 90s and we grew up when music was freely shareable for the low low price of an internet connection to Kazaa
Reclaim your youth!
There are great recommendations already in this thread, so I’ll add one for Jason Isbell. Formerly of Drive-by Truckers, Southeastern is a good place to start with his solo work.
Got it!
I’ve really enjoyed The Steel Woods, though I’m not certain they’re quite the same.
I’ll check them out!
