Words to remember

No we won’t let their hunger for power decide
Who we should hate
How we show pride

Don’t let them use the tears we have shed
Don’t let evil be done in our names

Thanks to Joel (sorry if I butchered the actual lyrics – I had been drinking, you know 😉 ). As The Chad said, this is a political drinking song – it’s easier to get the melody if you think “Oom-pa-pa Oom-pa-pa” and imagine swinging a mug o’ ale along with it. Lisa guest hosted the OpenMic on Tuesday (two weeks in a row for us!), and one of the highlights (aside from her performance, of course) was a rousing sing-a-long to Joel’s first acoustic performance of this great anti-Bush song he wrote. We had first heard this at his apartment many months ago during one of our musical get togethers.

Someone more paranoid than me once commented that my generation lacks a Dylan. He’s right and he’s wrong. There are thousands of Dylans all around the country. Most aren’t nearly talented enough, but that isn’t the problem. There is no place for them to gain their support – the yearning masses looking for a vision to lead them a head. When entertainers speak their mind on politics, the public tells them to shut up. They used to look for those they agreed with. I don’t know where I’m going with this, but the music industry today was a reaction to the rather doom and gloom attitude that so much of the early 90’s alternative scene produced. If the huddled messes rejected such a deep, introspective look there is little doubt that they would accept a much more intense political message.

Nevertheless, there are still Dylans out there. Joel is one of them. Ross is one of them. Even Gibby is one of them (albeit a much louder version 😛 ). Now if only more people would bother to open up their ears and listen, they might be able to prompt a change. Well, at least in individuals – and that’s a start.