Rockin’ the Right: The 50 greatest conservative rock songs
On first glance, rock ‘n’ roll music isn’t very conservative. It doesn’t fare much better on second or third glance (or listen), either. Neil Young has a new song called “Let’s Impeach the President.” Last year, the Rolling Stones made news with “Sweet Neo Con,” another anti-Bush ditty…. But some rock songs really are conservative — and there are more of them than you might think…. What makes a great conservative rock song? The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. And, to be sure, it must be a great rock song. We”re biased in favor of songs that are already popular, but have tossed in a few little-known gems. In several cases, the musicians are outspoken liberals. Others are notorious libertines. For the purposes of this list, however, we don’t hold any of this against them. Finally, it would have been easy to include half a dozen songs by both the Kinks and Rush, but we’ve made an effort to cast a wide net. Who ever said diversity isn’t a conservative principle?
Well, at least John J. Miller is right about one thing- rock music is not very Conservative. For that, you’d be wanting country music, for there you’d find all the Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood you could possibly want…which is great, I suppose, if you’re into songs dripping with saccharine patriotism or barely-concealed hatred and bloodlust.
Music has historically been a means for conveying politcal messages. Most of us who came of age in the ’60s and ’70s can instantly think of a few protest songs…some of them we still even know the words to, and, if pressed, could probably still sing. Because of it’s primary value as a form of entertainment, music has always been a relatively safe form of protest. What’s been interesting over the last couple of years is seeing protest music coming back into vogue again. I suppose this generation’s Vietnam could have been expected to produce that sort of result.
Oh, and by the way, John…diversity ISN’T a Conservative principle.
For Conservatives to lay claim to rock & roll is, if nothing else, an exercise in how much they simply don’t get it. No matter how much Miller tries to twist the lyrics of these 50 songs to fit Conservative principles, they just don’t ring true. Take Miller’s riff on #38, “I Can’t Drive 55”, by Sammy Hagar:
A rocker’s objection to the nanny state.
Uh, no, John…I believe Hagar was whining about not wanting to follow the speed limit. That’s a broadly bi-partisan complaint, and hardly an objection to the “nanny state”.
Or how about this: #32, “Keep Your Hands To Yourself”, by the Georgia Satellites:
An outstanding vocal performance, with lyrics that affirm old-time sexual mores: “She said no huggy, no kissy until I get a wedding vow.
Well, this seems more about a man wanting a woman determined to get him into line- pronto…and as most women know, it can be easy to get what they want when their man is thinking with the wrong head. Not only that, it sounds as if this poor fool is in love with a control freak- and nothing good can come out of that, eh?
Most of Miller’s list is an exercise in taking lyrics and twisting them in ways that renders the original meaning unrecognizable. I suppose if it’s that important for Conservatives to lay claim to rock & roll, then who am I to stand in their way. I wonder if they recognize just how monumentally silly this makes them look, though?
