The Trojan Song

A friend of mine just sent me a link to this song called Born Again American. It's the third or fourth time someone sent me a link, but that's okay. I like them to send me links to things they like because they find the subject interesting or informative. If they didn't send them along them I might miss something I like because I find the subject interesting or informative.

The first time I head the song I was tapping my foot along to the tune and getting into the words – especially the chorus. Then something made me go “Whoa Nelly”. Standing in front of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis was this attractive young woman singing

My brother's welding chassis at the plant

He's earning what our Granddad did in 1948

While CEOs count bonuses behind the castle gates

How can they see when all they care about's the dough-re-mi

I know darn well that somebody welding chassis in an auto plant is making a heck of a lot more than somebody doing it in nineteen forty-eight. And, even adjusted for inflation, they have a lot more buying power. This didn't strike me as some little factual indiscretion used in artistic license. It was a downright prevarication used to misinform and (coupled with the next two lines) further promote class envy.

Now I am not saying CEOs aren't sitting on each other's companies boards of directors and giving each other huge compensation packages. They do and I think it should be illegal. Personally I think the stockholders should have at least as much say in the salaries of the company officers – but that's a discussion for another day.

But after hearing that line I went back to listen to the song again and caught a few other similar things so subtle they would have slipped by me if it hadn't been for the flagrant one I mentioned above.

In the link I got today it mentioned Norman Lear commissioned (or asked) Keith Carradine to write the song. I checked it out and found this to be factual. That being the case my initial reaction to the lines made more sense. Neither of these guys is what I would call a centrist or even center left – especially Lear. He was one of the founders of both People for the American Way and New American Foundation.

Both of these organizations set themselves forth as bipartisan with a mission to find bipartisan solutions to America's problems. However it only takes a few minutes worth of reading to see they are anything but what they claim to be. They have an article or two they label conservative but they lean so far left they haven't got all four wheels on the road. The same (quadrupled) can be said of Media Matters for America – an organization staunchly supported by Lear. While claiming to be a watchdog of the media Media Matters only criticizes anyone who takes issue with the liberal agenda. They will even turn on the liberals in the media faster than an injured wolf will turn on its own if they even dare to stray from the party talking points.

But let's get back to the song. How do I know the lines were meant to be inflammatory and advance an agenda? Pretty simple really. Keith Carradine has been around the music industry a long time. He has written enough good songs of his own and recorded others by great songwriters. He knows the craft and he knows how to say exactly what he wants to say. The most obvious example is in the chorus of the song with the words “my bible and the bill of rights”. Now while I will not comment on the beliefs of Carradine or Lear (they may both be men of great faith in God), but I can tell you they are in no way, shape, or form, tolerant of any evidence (even the merest whiff) of a connection between the church and state. So it would have been easy to get the point across by writing the line as, “my abiding faith and the bill of rights”. This would have been generic enough to be inclusive but still express a faith in a higher power. I believe it was an intentional grab for the religious/evangelical support. Even the title of the song Born Again American attempts to appeal to the same group.

So here's my problem. Even if you agree with most of what is being said and you sign the pledge

I am a born again American

I am my country's keeper

My president and my congress

report to me

And say so -

I will stay informed and involved

I will make my voice heard

And not just at election time

I can make a difference

I matter

I am an American, born again

you see this in very small print at the bottom of the page

By signing our Pledge or submitting lyrics or a personal pledge, you are automatically added to our email list for messages related to the Born Again American campaign.

What is the Born Again American campaign? What are they going to do with my signature? Where else (on what other petition) will it appear?

Why do they not spell any of this out?

Maybe I am not a trusting soul, but that comes from experience. In fact I have learned well over the years

“If you want to sell a lie surround it with the truth”.

And

“Don't trust the package unless you know who wrapped it”

(I call this the Ted Kosinksy doctrine)

Seems to me this is the perfect example of The Trojan Song.