Song of the Day 8/30: Iris DeMent, “Wasteland of the Free”
Another song for the “Nothing Has Changed” playlist. Folk/country artist Iris DeMent is probably best known for her song “Our Town” and her duets with John Prine, but back in 1996 she released this protest song on her third album. The song and album both went over poorly with the conservative crowd that listens to country music. The song was even used by a GOP state senator in Florida as an excuse to cut the funding of a public radio station.
To put the song in context, the politico-Christianist right had yet to impeach Bill Clinton and was actually out of power, except for the House of Representatives, at the time, but DeMent clearly saw the drain we were circling:
Living in the wasteland of the free
where the poor have now become the enemy
Let’s blame our troubles on the weak ones
Sounds like some kind of Hitler remedy
Living in the wasteland of the free
While we’re talking protest songs I had hoped for an outpouring of them in response to Trump, really have seen nothing so far.
Hi, bamboozer,
Check out “Revolution Now,” by Emma’s Revolution, and “Resistance,” a wonderful six track EP CD by Beth DeSombre. Both have what you’re looking for.
It seems as though the best protest songs of the last couple of years have been penned by women. Where’s Phil Ochs when you really need him?
p.s.: @Alby, Now you’re playing my kind of music!!
p.p.s.: “Until a Drop Becomes a Flood,” by Leela and Ellie Grace, fits in perfectly with what’s going on today, but it was written in 2007. Plus ca change, plus la meme chose.