Poor Misguided Patriots

If you want to show your patriotism thru song, that’s cool. It just really helps if you read (and understand) the lyrics first.


Ever since September 11th, there has been a sudden surge of patriotism in this country. Rightfully so, I might add. I too am very proud to be an American. Especially one who lives, works and plays in the NYC metro area. So I have no problem with people wanting to show their pride to the rest of world. But there are some instances when you really need to think before you act.

I was in the car today when I heard yet another one of those requests meant to celebrate the spirit of America. As usual, the experience made me nauseous. Apparently no one ever bothers with reading the lyrics to their favorite so-called patriotic tunes before requesting them.

Three very good examples of such misguided requests are:

  • Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen
  • Pink Houses by John Cougar Mellencamp
  • American Woman by The Guess Who

None of these are in any way pro-American songs. The first is about the despair felt by a Vietnam Vet who, after returning from a war he fought for his country, was treated like shit by his fellow countrymen. The second tells a tale of poor souls who have fallen through the cracks of the system only to be left with a life of pills and poverty. The third is an outright anti-American anthem written by a bunch of dudes from Canada!

Now I can understand how the lazy listener could get a false reading off of the first two songs. By not hearing anything past the catchy choruses filled with words like USA, America and Home of the Free, one could conceivably see these in a different light than was intended. But how in the world could anyone misinterpret the third song with lines like ‘American Woman … Stay away from me’ or ‘I don’t need your war machines … I don’t need your Ghetto scenes’?

What pisses me off more than the requesting of these songs in the name of American Pride, is the fact that DJs and Music Directors play them in the name of American Pride. Come on now. How much pride can we truly have if we don’t even notice when we’re being insulted? It’s time to open our ears a bit wider people. The world is watching us and we look like fools.

So fly your flag high and show your pride! Just be sure that, if you do it through music, you request songs that are actually pro-American. There are plenty of them out there.

Happy Birthday America!


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