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I Remember America
Spent the morning re-visiting on old friend. You don't get much more down to earth and honest than John Stewart. Had to listen to this classic more than once this morning:
I REMEMBER AMERICA
- John Stewart
I remember America
I remember it well
When you could walk downtown in the middle of the night
Without the smell of fear on your shoulder
As you jump at every sound
And you never look in the eye of any stranger
Who could easily gun you down
I remember America
I remember every town
When crack was the sound that caps would make
In the only guns that kids would have around
I remember America
I remember my friends
I remember America
And I want to be safe again
I remember America
I remember the time
When Rock N' Roll was cool and fun and we'd read between the lines
I remember America
Like you remember the dead
When freedom of speech wasn't every four-letter word a sailor never said
I remember America
And I remember my schools
Now it's graft and gangs and guards and guns and needles in the pool
I remember America
When kids could walk alone
Go to the corner for a root beer float and safely make it home
I remember America
I remember my friends
I remember America
And I want to be safe again
I remember America
I remember my home
That any working man would proudly say it was something that he owned
I remember America
And I remember the day
November twenty second, nineteen sixty three,
When they blew the dreams away
I remember America
I remember my friends
I remember America
And I want to be safe again
I remember America
I remember America
I remember America
© John Stewart, All Rights Reserved
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Don't wanna start an arguement here, but I'm curious...is he referring to the Kennedy assinationation? And, if so, is he really acting like the whole downfall of American culture and the rise of crime could have somehow been stopped if he hadn't been shot?
Hope not...that's pretty darn far-fetched at best. Maybe...something like it was a landmark event in a continuing cycle which would have happened anyway?
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I probably should've just let this die but, I don't know...I loathe stuff like this. It always seems to conveniently ignore the problems of the past. I won't get into a political thing by listing them, but let's just say that for all of the truth behind the sentiment that led him to write this, it plays right into the tendency most people have to romanticize the past & overlook the fact that things weren't completely rosy just because there are fond memories there. Some choose to focus on the decline. I say that's pointless without considering the positives in other areas that are somehow never mentioned in any of this 'good old days' stuff. Phooey.
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Well...I agree...this one probably should just die, but I will chime in to say that i generally agree with you that we paint a rosy picture of the past when talking about the "good old days," often forgetting that mostly, the good old days were only good for a small segment of society. Most folks in the US weren't exactly having a blast in the 50s if they weren't white is only the most obvious example.
Still, I think we shouldn't just assume we are on a one-way track to paradise either and some things have seemed to decline in our society...we are more violent than we have been in the recent past for one...although the overwhelming evidence is of greater progress with time for most people rather than the reverse.
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Opinions are like....
Only John understands where this song came from and why he wrote it. However, I grew up during the time John describes and I miss it. Call it what you like, doesn't change anything.
-dave
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave918
Only John understands where this song came from and why he wrote it.
You can drop the Mysterious Artist Routine. It's obvious what the song is about regardless of the inspiration. It's too stupid to be complex.
Emotional, maybe, but nostalgic tripe nonetheless. This Kennedy-as-messiah mentality is worn down to a nub. No wonder they had to take him down from the cross and put Lennon up. Hopefully, Bono will live forever.
And yeah, I grew up in the sixties too, just like half the people on this board.
As you said, opinions are like....
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What, that you haven't bothered to respond to any of the points raised in this thread, or that John Stewart wrote a song about how great things were back in the good old days...without mentioning trifling details like world wars, race relations, the power & influence of organized crime...hmmm?
I don't think anyone has any problem with anyone else enjoying, admiring, or appreciating a song that says these things. But celebrating it on a message board...did you think nobody would take the time to point out that this is a rose-colored view?
Interesting, yet sad, indeed.
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Jesus, J, is this Outside Asylum?
No wonder this place is dead as all those Kennedys. Somebody makes the mistake of posting his/her feelings about a song, a Rave Recording to him/her, and ends up being be strangled with the white man's burden? Good lord.
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Sorry you feel that way. Offering a dissenting view on such a 'classic' is what killed this forum? Getting into that 'white man's burden' thing was not my idea, so give me a break. I don't think it's too much to ask why, if the guy is so 'down to earth' and 'honest,' his 'classic' doesn't deal with the reasons why Bob Dylan was writing songs like Masters Of War & about Hattie Carroll back in the America he remembers. Mentioning this is such a problem? Sheesh.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BradH
And yeah, I grew up in the sixties too, just like half the people on this board.....
You know...the '60s happened mostly in the '70s.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MindGoneHaywire
Sorry you feel that way. Offering a dissenting view on such a 'classic' is what killed this forum?
No, but kicking people in the musical balls might have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MindGoneHaywire
Getting into that 'white man's burden' thing was not my idea, so give me a break.
Take yr breaks where you can find them- you painted it- read yr previous post.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MindGoneHaywire
I don't think it's too much to ask why, if the guy is so 'down to earth' and 'honest,' his 'classic' doesn't deal with the reasons why Bob Dylan was writing songs like Masters Of War & about Hattie Carroll back in the America he remembers. Mentioning this is such a problem? Sheesh.
So, then, every song ever written has to capture every possible topical social aspect to be relevant, or even worthy of admiration.
Good Vibrations fails the litmus test. I'm done here.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tentoze
Jesus, J, is this Outside Asylum?
No wonder this place is dead as all those Kennedys. Somebody makes the mistake of posting his/her feelings about a song, a Rave Recording to him/her, and ends up being be strangled with the white man's burden? Good lord.
Nah...the reason why this board is dead is because its way over-moderated. If you let good natured thread crapping occur, then you'll draw out the lurkers who are obviously under the awning waiting for their piece of silk to twitch. I know that's not exactly "getting along and playing nicely with others", but its the only way some 'members' will post. It makes for spirited discussion, no matter the motivations or agendas. Its ugly, yet necessary.
It's like my grandaddy always said, "If you go around whippin out yer sentiment all the time, someone's gonna whack it off one of these days".
But if the responses still worry some you posters, you could do what a lot of us do, and post on tomorrow's Tuesday Listening thread. Not even the the most ardent keyboard commandos crap on posters in that thread cuz there's prolly too many directions to go at once. Its like a herd, if we post our sentiments en mass, we're safer, but if a straggler goes off on his own (like poor Dave918)...it gets messy. Its one of those 'circle of life' things.
(yeah, I know my analogy is a bit of a stretch, but its way tamer than my Shawshank Redemption analogy)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tentoze
No wonder this place is dead as all those Kennedys. Somebody makes the mistake of posting his/her feelings about a song, a Rave Recording to him/her, and ends up being be strangled with the white man's burden? Good lord.
I didn't see anybody posting about what a wonderful song it was. If it weren't for the dissenters there wouldn't even be a thread, just a single post. And if someone would post about what a wonderful song it was, that would be even better. The thread would be (gasp!) even longer. Isn't that the whole point of this place?
Besides, I remember Rave Recs used to be a lot more contentious when it was hopping about 5 or 6 years ago.
Now we're down to arguing about the argument. That's how pathetic it's gotten.
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Welcome to AR, post a thought a watch the dogs attack. A number of analogies come to mind, but I'll refrain. Suffice to say I'm done as well.
-dave
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What Made America Famous
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave918
Spent the morning re-visiting on old friend. You don't get much more down to earth and honest than John Stewart. Had to listen to this classic more than once this morning:
I don't think I know this song by John Stewart. Is he a country singer?
Anyway, he's not the only one to criticize America, but these lyrics do seem rather lame.
Here are a few more thoughtful looks at history and "the good 'ol days":
Kevin Gilbert: Goodness Gracious (from Thud)
Harry Chapin: What Made America Famous (from Verities & Balderdash)
Harry Chapin: Remember When The Music (from Sequel)
Harry Chapin: There Was Only One Choice (from Danceband On The Titanic)
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What a spirited thread. Who would have thought? Well, I like the song. And I like what it says. But as usual, I also agree that it's not entirely correct. There were many drawbacks in the day. And we have much more available to us now. But there's still an emotional tie with the "good ol' days" that will not go away. Sometimes perception is far from the truth. But we can still embrace our tainted memories of the past.
OK, enough mushy stuff. Just one more thought. Anyone who can remember the 70's wasn't really apart of it.
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Quote -Dave, I hope that your comment, "I'm done as well", refers to this thread and not to this board.
I am with Forever Autumn on this one. Thanks to Dave918 I am listening at the moment to several blues recomendations and enjoy them very much. Thank you.
And yes sometimes the past looks very rosy but in my opinion it is a good thing to be self critical as the John Stewart song portrays. I like it and many of that genre. To much brainwashing going on already about the biggest,greatest,etc.
In the words of the great Roger Waters-
"Who is the strongest, who is the best
Who holds the aces, the East or the West
This is the crap our children are learning".
Peace
Bernd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bernd
Quote -Dave, I hope that your comment, "I'm done as well", refers to this thread and not to this board.
I am with Forever Autumn on this one. Thanks to Dave918 I am listening at the moment to several blues recomendations and enjoy them very much. Thank you.
And yes sometimes the past looks very rosy but in my opinion it is a good thing to be self critical as the John Stewart song portrays. I like it and many of that genre. To much brainwashing going on already about the biggest,greatest,etc.
In the words of the great Roger Waters-
"Who is the strongest, who is the best
Who holds the aces, the East or the West
This is the crap our children are learning".
Peace
Bernd
Sorry Bernd, I deleted my post, but I guess I wasn't fast enough. I decided that I agreed with what BradH said about arguing about the argument. But I did mean what I said about wanting Dave918 to stick around.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
Sorry Bernd, I deleted my post, but I guess I wasn't fast enough. I decided that I agreed with what BradH said about arguing about the argument. But I did mean what I said about wanting Dave918 to stick around.
Yes, you were too slow. I read your post also. Not sure why you would delete it.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
Yes, you were too slow. I read your post also. Not sure why you would delete it.
My influence knows no boundaries ...
http://www.realcaliforniacheese.com/...logo_lines.gif
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davey
My influence knows no boundaries ...
I have been hypnotized. :eek6:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn
I have been hypnotized. :eek6:
BLINK! Now step away from the terminal. Get up and go for a walk. Take a deep breath. Hold it, holt it, now release slowly.
Davey, you let her go!
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>kicking people in the musical balls
Again, sorry you feel that way. I don't believe that's what I did at all. I said I don't like this sort of thing, and I said why. That's kicking someone in the musical balls? I'll stand by my opinion that those lyrics by that supposedly down-to-earth, honest guy who penned this classic are preachy & inaccurate.
He can remember America any way he wants. I don't have to agree, nor do I have to like it, or keep my mouth shut, either. If that's how you define thread crapping, then we disagree. If it makes you feel better to take yr high road & not respond, that's fine. However:
>read yr previous post
Again--I did not bring up the topic of, as you put it, the 'white man's burden' as it relates to perceptions of these lyrics. Read the thread again. I chose to mention it only after it was brought up by another poster.
>So, then, every song ever written has to capture every possible topical social aspect to be relevant, or even worthy of admiration.
And I said this...where? I wasn't the one who posted about a song & how great I think it is, only to back away when someone decided to post a dissenting opinion. See the difference?
Maybe you didn't read the lyrics to this song. This guy would have us believe it was all peaches & cream, and I don't agree with it. This is what you're objecting to? I don't accept that rock and roll was only cool up until that time, and I know damned well that the picture painted in this toon isn't accurate when it comes to walking down streets at night. As a matter of fact, most I've discussed this with who were there at the time have told me that people started locking the front doors to their houses by the late 1940s due to an increasing lack of trust & rising crime rates. This flies in the face of all this 'good old days stuff.' By deigning to respond, I'm told that posts such as mine have killed this forum. Give me a break.
>Good Vibrations fails the litmus test. I'm done here.
Whatever. Like there isn't any negativity on Pet Sounds? If you have a problem with my having expressed my opinion on this song, and the OP's feelings on John Stewart, then complain to the moderator. Aside from that, I don't know what yr problem is.
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“I'll stand by my opinion that those lyrics by that supposedly down-to-earth, honest guy who penned this classic are preachy & inaccurate.”
And you would be wrong, but that is your right.
“He can remember America any way he wants. I don't have to agree, nor do I have to like it, or keep my mouth shut, either. If that's how you define thread crapping, then we disagree. If it makes you feel better to take yr high road & not respond, that's fine.”
And that is his right. You can disagree, but the degree of distain and hate I see in some of these responses goes beyond a dissenting opinion. That is my opinion.
“Maybe you didn't read the lyrics to this song. This guy would have us believe it was all peaches & cream, and I don't agree with it. This is what you're objecting to? I don't accept that rock and roll was only cool up until that time, and I know damned well that the picture painted in this toon isn't accurate when it comes to walking down streets at night. As a matter of fact, most I've discussed this with who were there at the time have told me that people started locking the front doors to their houses by the late 1940s due to an increasing lack of trust & rising crime rates. This flies in the face of all this 'good old days stuff.' By deigning to respond, I'm told that posts such as mine have killed this forum. Give me a break.”
Give me a break. I don’t know about Toze, but I read the lyrics – word for word. I also lived in the time he describes and I find his general assessment to be very accurate. Funny, you didn’t discuss the safety of the streets with me. If you had I would have told you that it was safe to walk around at any time of the day or night in the town that I grew up in. Didn’t matter if it was downtown, on the strip or any of the neighborhoods. And by the way – as a general rule, folks didn’t start locking their doors around here until the late ‘60s and that was only when they were out of town for a few days.
Guess its all relative to when and where you grew up…guess I was lucky.
If the goal was to make me sorry I created this thread, feel proud ‘cause you succeeded. If the goal is to slowly strangle this board to death, congrats - you’re well on your way. The intent of this thread was to acknowledge a talented and gifted songwriter, nothing more, nothing less. No response was expected or needed.
Now I’m done….with this thread and this board – and that is my right.
-dave
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