The Presidential IPod
May 14, 2005
OK, first a disclaimer:
Slacker Country is not a political site.
We’re about music.
And we don’t really care what politicians listen to. Not really.
But ever since they leaked the President’s IPod playlist to the press, newspapers, websites, and music magazines have gone on ad-nauseum about it. Who are we to not jump on the band wagon? The most revelatory tidbit was not that the president likes George Jones or Kenny Chesney - you would expect that much from any politician. I mean George Jones is a country music demigod and Kenny Chesney was one of the first Nashville artists out of the gate with a self serving “tribute” record to the terrorist attacks of 9-11-01.
No, the revelation was that Bush listens to John Hiatt and Alejandro Escovedo. Alejandro Escovedo was recently diagnosed with hepatitis C, and like a growing number of us, he lacks any sort of health insurance. Texas musicians have been throwing benefit concerts to help cover the cost of his treatment.
So with all that in mind, Slacker Country would like to suggest a few tracks that we think would fit nicely into the presidential musical library and just maybe, hopefully, influence the leader of the free world. At least a little…
Rich Man’s War
Steve Earle- The Revolution Starts Now
This one would make a nice little reminder that the men who start wars are not the ones who fight them.
Ever. Oh, they used to be, once. But not any more.
He Never Got Enough Love
Lucinda Williams – Sweet Old World
Crime sucks. Not the
little stuff that fills our jails and prisons,
but real violent crime. And the criminal industrial complex is big business.
There are root causes for violent crime and this little song highlights what’s probably the biggest root cause very eloquently. Of course, we wouldn’t expect any politician to solve the problem of dysfunctional families, but just knowing they were really aware might be a nice place to start.
Jubilee Train
Dave Alvin- Romeo’s Escape
Before they completely take it apart, remember that the
New Deal did more to advance America’s standing in the world than all the wealthy industrialists combined.
Man, those were the days.
Don’t Sell The Farm
Junior Brown- Twelve Shades Of Brown
Sure it’s kind of smarmy and Nashville sounding, but just on the outside chance that there might still be a family farm in this country somewhere, please keep ‘em in mind, Mr. President, sir.
They work a lot harder than you do, you know.
What’s So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding?
Elvis Costello- Armed Forces
Nick Lowe wrote it as a kind of tongue-in-cheek pop quickie, but Elvis Costello made it his own by turning it into an impassioned plea for sanity in a world gone mad.
It's more relevant now than ever before.
-jitter
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