Politics and Music

Actually, Frank Zappa himself got very involved in politics in 1987, when he went up against Tipper Gore over warning labels on albums, even testifying before Congress.

I know a fair number of musicians who identify as Libertarians, the interesting mix of social liberalism and economic conservatism.

Johnny Cash was an early fan of Bob Dylan, but Johnny's cause was the plight of Native Americans. He did an album dedicated to the subject (Bitter Tears: Ballads Of The American Indian).

Merle Haggard is most well known by the general population for his "Okie From Muskogee". "We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee"; I guess his good friend Willie Nelson didn't live there. ;-)

I knew a guy who did sound for The Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California (a half hour drive south of San Francisco). A bassist I knew went to the theater to see Merle sometime in the 70's, and our soundman friend asked him if he wanted to meet Merle (well duh ;-). They went onto the band bus, and the bassist told me Merle and his band were sitting around the kitchen table, a huge mountain of blow being shared by all. I guess Merle knew America was itching for a redneck anthem, and didn't mind a little cynical cashing-in on that market. 

Did ya’ll know that Neil Young was for a time a "Reagan Democrat"? Disappointing.

For years I greatly admired Joan Baez as an "activist" (I don’t care for the term, as it feels to me somewhat pejorative), but didn’t care for her artistically (too much vibrato in her voice). But I have recently found her very alluring (upon hearing her recording of Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands"), and am in the process of exploring her recordings.

I immediately took to Iris Dement, as did Merle Haggard (he recorded her astounding song "No Time To Cry", as heartbreaking a song as I have ever heard). My love and respect for her only increased when I heard her "Wasteland Of The Free", a scathing indictment of the Christian Right, who responded to the song by ostracizing her (she was brought up Pentecostal). She’s too honest for them.

Conservatives tend to oppose things like---in the case of Reagan---Stem Cell research (’cause fetuses have their rights too). That is, of course, until such research will benefit them personally (after Reagan’s illness was diagnosed, Mrs. Reagan got behind Stem Cell research in a big way). What a great irony it was that the "great communicator" lived his final years unable to speak.

We Californian’s were horrified when Governor Reagan cut funding for the State mental hospitals, "throwing" the mentally ill literally into the street. Reagan suggested the families of the ill should take responsibility for their relatives. Good luck, ya’all. One of those tossed out was Skip Spence (drummer on the debut Jefferson Airplane album, then rhythm guitarist/songwriter/singer in Moby Grape.). For the rest of his life Skip could be seen wandering the streets of San Jose, bumming cigarettes and spare change. Cruel indifference to the suffering of the least fortunate. Jesus weeps.

The list is not complete without Woodie Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Steve Earle.

It’s interesting, the percentage of progressive/left-leaning songwriters, singers, and musicians vs. those of the conservative/right-leaning persuasion. Make a list of your faves, and see where their allegiances lie.

Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Graham Nash, Bruce Springsteen, Ry Cooder, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, John Hiatt (a lotta John’s around here ;-) , Iris Dement, Emmylou Harris, Joan Osborne, etc. on the left.

On the right? Ted Nugent and Mike Love. I don’t know much about Nugent’s music, other than that The Amboy Dukes’ version of "Baby Please Don’t Go" is unintentionally hilarious. As for MIke Love, we have to be embarrassed for him, as he’s too dumb to do it for himself.

I like what Dylan years ago said: "It’s not left or right, it’s up or down."